Greta Gerwig becomes the first female director to make $1billion at the box office

American filmmaker Greta Gerwig has become the first female director to make $1billion at the box office, earning success for her new movie Barbie.

Starring Margot Robbie as the title character, based on the Mattel doll launched back in 1959, the movie is a comedy-drama that analysis modern gender politics. At the very same time, Barbie is also a summer blockbuster in the same vein as Randal Kleiser’s musical Grease, Stanley Donen and Gene Kelly’s Singin’ in the Rain and Victor Fleming’s Wizard of Oz.

Becoming the female filmmaker to earn the highest amount at the box office, Gerwig surpasses Patty Jenkins, the director of the 2017 superhero flick Wonder Woman.

The success of Barbie has been boosted significantly by the viral phenomenon of ‘Barbenheimer’, which has seen fans online rally around seeing Gerwig’s new movie and Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer on the very same day. This has led to sold-out screenings of both movies in the past few weeks, with Barbie fans showing up to screenings donned in elaborate pink costumes.

Mattel has already announced a whole host of other movies based on toys following the success of Barbie, including a Hot Wheels film and a mysterious View-Master flick.

Indeed, Oppenheimer and Barbie have shared a symbiotic relationship, with the former having recently crossed the $500million milestone.

Take a look at the trailer for Gerwig’s Barbie below.

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