8 Highest-Grossing Films by Female Directors, "Barbie" at Number One

"Barbie" (2023) is a live-action film adaptation of the Mattel Barbie doll. Directed by Greta Gerwig, it's the first live-action film to feature the Barbie and Ken characters in the real world.

According to Statista data compiled from Box Office Mojo, "Barbie" set a new box office record with a gross revenue of US$155 million in its opening week.

This makes "Barbie" the highest-grossing film directed by a woman to date.

Starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, the film had a production budget of US$145 million. This figure excludes the substantial promotional and marketing costs incurred by Warner Bros. before the film's theatrical release.

The previous record was held by "Captain Marvel" (2019), directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, which grossed US$153 million.

Following that was "Frozen II" (2019), directed by Jennifer Lee and Chris Buck, which earned US$130 million.

Below is a complete list of films directed by women that achieved the highest box office revenue in their opening week up to July 2023:

1. Barbie (Greta Gerwig): US$155 million
2. Captain Marvel (Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck): US$153 million
3. Frozen II (Jennifer Lee and Chris Buck): US$130 million
4. Wonder Woman (Patty Jenkins): US$103 million
5. The Matrix Reloaded (Lana and Lilly Wachowski): US$92 million
6. Fifty Shades of Grey (Sam Taylor-Johnson): US$85 million
7. Black Widow (Cate Shortland): US$80 million
8. Twilight (Catherine Hardwicke): US$70 million

(Read also: Greta Gerwig and the Success of Barbie: What is the Role of Women in Hollywood?)