'Barbie' becomes America's highest-grossing film in 2023

LOS ANGELES - In a significant show of girl-power, the dominance of the 2023 domestic box office did a pink shift this week as Warner Bros' "Barbie" strutted into the top spot in the domestic box office, snatching the prize from the fan-boy favorite, "Super Mario Bros".

"Barbie's impressive theatrical run continues with this week's 2.55 million U.S. dollars box office, propelling the film's domestic box office cume to 575.4 million U.S. dollars as of Thursday, breaking 'Super Mario Bros'" 574.2 million dollars mark.

And it's important to note that "Barbie" blazed to its lofty record-breaking status merely 34 days after its initial release, while "Mario and Luigi" took 138 days to amble over their finish line.

"Barbie"'s global performance, an impressive 1.3 billion dollars, is only slightly behind Warner Bros' top box office earners of all time: "Super Mario Bros" (1.35 billion dollars) and "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II" (1.34 billion dollars).

But still surging out of the gate, "Barbie" is likely to surpass them both soon.

Since its premiere on July 21, "Barbie" has been shattering glass ceilings and every record in sight.

Its opening weekend garnered a staggering 155 million U.S. dollars in the Northern American market, marking the most substantial opening weekend of the year and the most significant debut ever for a film directed by a woman.

Director Greta Gerwig's name has been etched into history as the highest-grossing female movie director to date.

However, the race of "Barbie" will continue as "Super Mario Bros" readies for a re-release this weekend on Universal's streaming service, Peacock, to line up with National Cinema Day. And "Barbie" will continue to break new ground as it gears up for its IMAX debut on Sept. 22, which will feature exclusive end credits and footage.

Capitalising on the monumental success of the "Barbie" movie, various businesses are also tapping into the trend and cashing in by producing an array of pink merchandise.

After raking in a staggering 1 billion dollars earned worldwide within a mere three weeks, "Barbie" has transcended the screen to influence other sales sectors as well -- from fashion to food.

The retail landscape is being shaped by "Barbiecore" with pink products reigning supreme. Market research firm Circana reported that "Barbie" products dominated the toy aisle, occupying six out of the top 10 doll items sold during the movie's premiere week. XINHUA