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"Barbie," director and co-writer Greta Gerwig ’s summer splash, is a dazzling achievement, both technically and in tone. It’s a visual feast that succeeds as both a gleeful escape and a battle cry. So crammed with impeccable attention to detail is "Barbie” that you couldn’t possibly catch it all in a single sitting; you’d have to devote an entire viewing just to the accessories, for example. The costume design (led by two-time Oscar winner Jacqueline Durran ) and production design (led by six-time Oscar nominee Sarah Greenwood ) are constantly clever and colorful, befitting the ever-evolving icon, and cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto (a three-time Oscar nominee) gives everything a glossy gleam. It’s not just that Gerwig & Co. have recreated a bunch of Barbies from throughout her decades-long history, outfitted them with a variety of clothing and hairstyles, and placed them in pristine dream houses. It’s that they’ve brought these figures to life with infectious energy and a knowing wink.

“Barbie” can be hysterically funny, with giant laugh-out-loud moments generously scattered throughout. They come from the insularity of an idyllic, pink-hued realm and the physical comedy of fish-out-of-water moments and choice pop culture references as the outside world increasingly encroaches. But because the marketing campaign has been so clever and so ubiquitous, you may discover that you’ve already seen a fair amount of the movie’s inspired moments, such as the “ 2001: A Space Odyssey ” homage and Ken’s self-pitying ‘80s power ballad. Such is the anticipation industrial complex.

And so you probably already know the basic plot: Barbie ( Margot Robbie ), the most popular of all the Barbies in Barbieland, begins experiencing an existential crisis. She must travel to the human world in order to understand herself and discover her true purpose. Her kinda-sorta boyfriend, Ken ( Ryan Gosling ), comes along for the ride because his own existence depends on Barbie acknowledging him. Both discover harsh truths—and make new friends –along the road to enlightenment. This bleeding of stark reality into an obsessively engineered fantasy calls to mind the revelations of “ The Truman Show ” and “The LEGO Movie,” but through a wry prism that’s specifically Gerwig’s.

This is a movie that acknowledges Barbie’s unrealistic physical proportions—and the kinds of very real body issues they can cause in young girls—while also celebrating her role as a feminist icon. After all, there was an astronaut Barbie doll (1965) before there was an actual woman in NASA’s astronaut corps (1978), an achievement “Barbie” commemorates by showing two suited-up women high-fiving each other among the stars, with Robbie’s Earth-bound Barbie saluting them with a sunny, “Yay, space!” This is also a movie in which Mattel (the doll’s manufacturer) and Warner Bros. (the film’s distributor) at least create the appearance that they’re in on the surprisingly pointed jokes at their expense. Mattel headquarters features a spacious, top-floor conference room populated solely by men with a heart-shaped, “ Dr. Strangelove ”-inspired lamp hovering over the table, yet Will Ferrell ’s CEO insists his company’s “gender-neutral bathrooms up the wazoo” are evidence of diversity. It's a neat trick.

As the film's star, Margot Robbie finds just the right balance between satire and sincerity. She’s  the  perfect casting choice; it’s impossible to imagine anyone else in the role. The blonde-haired, blue-eyed stunner completely looks the part, of course, but she also radiates the kind of unflagging, exaggerated optimism required for this heightened, candy-coated world. Later, as Barbie’s understanding expands, Robbie masterfully handles the more complicated dialogue by Gerwig and her co-writer and frequent collaborator, filmmaker Noah Baumbach . From a blinding smile to a single tear and every emotion in between, Robbie finds the ideal energy and tone throughout. Her performance is a joy to behold.

And yet, Ryan Gosling is a consistent scene-stealer as he revels in Ken’s himbo frailty. He goes from Barbie’s needy beau to a swaggering, macho doofus as he throws himself headlong into how he thinks a real man should behave. (Viewers familiar with Los Angeles geography will particularly get a kick out of the places that provide his inspiration.) Gosling sells his square-jawed character’s earnestness and gets to tap into his “All New Mickey Mouse Club” musical theater roots simultaneously. He’s a total hoot.

Within the film’s enormous ensemble—where the women are all Barbies and the men are all Kens, with a couple of exceptions—there are several standouts. They include a gonzo Kate McKinnon as the so-called “Weird Barbie” who places Robbie’s character on her path; Issa Rae as the no-nonsense President Barbie; Alexandra Shipp as a kind and capable Doctor Barbie; Simu Liu as the trash-talking Ken who torments Gosling’s Ken; and America Ferrera in a crucial role as a Mattel employee. And we can’t forget Michael Cera as the one Allan, bumbling awkwardly in a sea of hunky Kens—although everyone else forgets Allan.

But while “Barbie” is wildly ambitious in an exciting way, it’s also frustratingly uneven at times. After coming on strong with wave after wave of zippy hilarity, the film drags in the middle as it presents its more serious themes. It’s impossible not to admire how Gerwig is taking a big swing with heady notions during the mindless blockbuster season, but she offers so many that the movie sometimes stops in its propulsive tracks to explain itself to us—and then explain those points again and again. The breezy, satirical edge she established off the top was actually a more effective method of conveying her ideas about the perils of toxic masculinity and entitlement and the power of female confidence and collaboration.

One character delivers a lengthy, third-act speech about the conundrum of being a woman and the contradictory standards to which society holds us. The middle-aged mom in me was nodding throughout in agreement, feeling seen and understood, as if this person knew me and was speaking directly to me. But the longtime film critic in me found this moment a preachy momentum killer—too heavy-handed, too on-the-nose, despite its many insights.  

Still, if such a crowd-pleasing extravaganza can also offer some fodder for thoughtful conversations afterward, it’s accomplished several goals simultaneously. It’s like sneaking spinach into your kid’s brownies—or, in this case, blondies.

Available in theaters on July 21st. 

Christy Lemire

Christy Lemire is a longtime film critic who has written for RogerEbert.com since 2013. Before that, she was the film critic for The Associated Press for nearly 15 years and co-hosted the public television series "Ebert Presents At the Movies" opposite Ignatiy Vishnevetsky, with Roger Ebert serving as managing editor. Read her answers to our Movie Love Questionnaire here .

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Barbie (2023)

Rated PG-13 for suggestive references and brief language.

114 minutes

Margot Robbie as Barbie

Ryan Gosling as Ken

America Ferrera as Gloria

Will Ferrell as Mattel CEO

Kate McKinnon as Weird Barbie

Ariana Greenblatt as Sasha

Issa Rae as President Barbie

Rhea Perlman as Ruth Handler

Hari Nef as Doctor Barbie

Emma Mackey as Physicist Barbie

Alexandra Shipp as Writer Barbie

Michael Cera as Allan

Helen Mirren as Narrator

Simu Liu as Ken

Dua Lipa as Mermaid Barbie

John Cena as Kenmaid

Kingsley Ben-Adir as Ken

Scott Evans as Ken

Jamie Demetriou as Mattel Executive

• Greta Gerwig
• Noah Baumbach

Cinematographer

• Rodrigo Prieto
• Alexandre Desplat
• Mark Ronson

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• Cast & crew
• User reviews

Barbie and Ken are having the time of their lives in the colorful and seemingly perfect world of Barbie Land. However, when they get a chance to go to the real world, they soon discover the ... Read all Barbie and Ken are having the time of their lives in the colorful and seemingly perfect world of Barbie Land. However, when they get a chance to go to the real world, they soon discover the joys and perils of living among humans. Barbie and Ken are having the time of their lives in the colorful and seemingly perfect world of Barbie Land. However, when they get a chance to go to the real world, they soon discover the joys and perils of living among humans.

• Greta Gerwig
• Noah Baumbach
• Margot Robbie
• Ryan Gosling
• 1.8K User reviews
• 456 Critic reviews
• 80 Metascore
• 203 wins & 423 nominations total

Top cast 99+

• Weird Barbie

• All cast & crew
• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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Did you know

• Trivia Barbie is 23% larger than everything in Barbieland to mimic the awkward, disproportionate scale that real Barbies and Barbie activity sets are produced in. This is why Barbie sometimes appears too large for things like her car or why ceilings seem to be too low in the Dreamhouses.
• Goofs Gloria drives a Chevrolet Blazer SS EV, yet during the car chase scene her electric vehicle makes conventional gas engine acceleration noises.

Ken : To be honest, when I found out the patriarchy wasn't just about horses, I lost interest.

• Crazy credits All the actors playing Barbies and Kens are not indicative of which Barbie and Ken they portray, and are simply listed as playing "Barbie" and "Ken", with the exception. (Just for clarification's sake, Margot Robbie plays "Stereotypical Barbie", Kate McKinnon plays "Weird Barbie", Issa Rae plays "President Barbie", Hari Nef plays "Dr. Barbie", Alexandra Shipp plays "Writer Barbie", Emma Mackey plays "Physicist Barbie", Sharon Rooney plays "Lawyer Barbie", Ana Cruz Kayne plays "Judge Barbie", Dua Lipa plays all the "Mermaid Barbies", Nicola Coughlan plays "Diplomat Barbie", and Ritu Arya plays "Journalist Barbie".)
• Alternate versions The IMAX version, released on September 22, 2023, has an extended runtime of two hours.
• Connections Edited from 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
• Soundtracks Requiem (1963/65): 2. Kyrie Written by György Ligeti Performed by Bavarian Radio Orchestra (as Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks) and Francis Travis Courtesy of Deutsche Grammophon GmbH Under licence from Universal Music Operations Ltd

User reviews 1.8K

• HabibieHakim123
• Jul 18, 2023

Incredible Looks From the 'Barbie' Press Tour

• How long is Barbie? Powered by Alexa
• July 21, 2023 (United States)
• United States
• United Kingdom
• Official Instagram
• Official Site
• Venice Beach, Venice, Los Angeles, California, USA
• Warner Bros.
• Heyday Films
• LuckyChap Entertainment
• See more company credits at IMDbPro
• $100,000,000 (estimated)
• $636,238,421
• $162,022,044
• Jul 23, 2023
• $1,445,638,421

Technical specs

• Runtime 1 hour 54 minutes
• Dolby Digital
• IMAX 6-Track
• 12-Track Digital Sound
• D-Cinema 96kHz 7.1
• Dolby Atmos

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Review: With Robbie in pink and Gosling in mink, ‘Barbie’ (wink-wink) will make you think

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Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie,” an exuberant, sometimes exhaustingly clever piece of Mattelian neorealism, opens with an extended, heavily trailer-spoiled homage to “2001: A Space Odyssey.” We’re at a drab early moment in the history of the toy industry; for too long, little girls everywhere have had only their sad, uninspiring baby dolls to play with — until now, at this fateful dawn-of-mannequin moment. Hello, dolly! But really, hello, Barbie, played by Margot Robbie with a megawatt grin and impeccable coiffure, modeling a black-and-white swimsuit and towering over the primordial landscape on skyscraper legs. She’s a marvel of (anatomically incorrect) engineering, a citadel of plasticine perfection and, to judge by her immense popularity, a major evolutionary leap forward.

Whether or not Barbie has ever represented an advance, of course, has been fiercely debated since Ruth Handler created her in 1959. Did Barbie, with her can-do spirit and variegated career possibilities, offer young girls a positive model of be-whatever-you-want-to-be womanhood? Or did her bombshell proportions and impossible chest-to-waist ratio entrench the kinds of cruelly unforgiving beauty standards that second-wave feminism was just beginning to interrogate?

Decades later, conversations around female self-image, representation, agency and empowerment have shifted, to say the least, as have personal and public attitudes toward Barbie herself. She has been attacked and defended, dismissed as a punchline and reclaimed as a pioneer. She has diversified with the times (new races, new body types and, as always, new clothes). In recent years, she’s also experienced plummeting sales and a diminished cultural profile, which of course explains why — after countless small-screen animated Barbie movies, series and specials — she now has a live-action theatrical feature to call her own.

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Really, though, that explains this movie only in part. Whatever you think of “Barbie,” the mere existence of this smart, funny, conceptually playful, sartorially dazzling comic fantasy speaks to the irreverent wit and meta-critical sensibility of its director. (It also owes something, I suppose, to Mattel’s willingness to endure some modestly scathing satire in the pursuit of ever-greater profits.) Working again with her co-writer, Noah Baumbach (“Mistress America,” “Frances Ha”), Gerwig has conceived “Barbie” as a bubble-gum emulsion of silliness and sophistication, a picture that both promotes and deconstructs its own brand. It doesn’t just mean to renew the endless “Barbie: good or bad?” debate. It wants to enact that debate, to vigorously argue both positions for the better part of two fast-moving, furiously multitasking hours.

The case for the Barbie defense is presented by the Barbies themselves. There are a lot of them walking, talking, dancing, doing the splits and consuming nonexistent meals in the groovy pinktacular paradise that is Barbie Land, where life is a beach party by day and a dance party by night. The Barbies dwell in sisterly harmony and blissful self-fulfillment, each with her own meticulously furnished Barbie Dreamhouse and endlessly colorful wardrobe. Each one also has her role to play, whether she’s President Barbie (Issa Rae), Dr. Barbie (Hari Nef), Writer Barbie (Alexandra Shipp), Lawyer Barbie (Sharon Rooney) or even Mermaid Barbie (Dua Lipa), popping up from behind some delightfully fake-looking ocean waves. (If you’ll permit a “Barbenheimer” joke, I must point out the existence of Emma Mackey as Physicist Barbie, who presumably discovered the secrets of nuclear fuchsian.)

Tiptoeing into the spotlight on perfectly arched feet is Robbie as Stereotypical Barbie, whose self-mocking name and lead-heroine status are a handy example of Gerwig’s have-it-both-ways attitude. Although surrounded by Barbies (and Kens, but more on them later) of various shapes, sizes and colors, Stereotypical Barbie is Barbie: white, blond and svelte, in line with our earliest, most lasting impressions of the doll formally named Barbara Millicent Roberts. To say that Robbie is perfectly cast is an understatement (her surname alone could be a Barbie/Roberts portmanteau), though that very perfection underscores the movie’s problem: Can you really call out and perpetuate a stereotype at the same time? Would it have been better — more daring, and also more interesting — to tell the story from a less classically molded Barbie’s perspective?

Perhaps that possibility will be taken up in future visits to what is already being mapped out as a full-blown Mattel cinematic universe. For now, this early adventure generates more than enough goodwill to sustain your curiosity and suspend, or at least temporarily overwhelm, your reservations. Drawing on the breathless narrative velocity and sly comic mischief she showed in her sparkling recent adaptation of “Little Women,” Gerwig maintains a delirious but remarkably coherent onslaught of gags, twists, ideas, non sequiturs (Michael Cera! Matchbox 20!) and scholarly bits of Barbie arcana — all of it swirling like a merry comic tornado around the serene center of gravity that is Robbie’s captivatingly sincere performance.

Like Amy Adams as a fish-out-of-water Disney princess in “Enchanted,” Robbie takes an archetype long dismissed as an airheaded caricature and, moment by deeply felt moment, teases and fleshes her out. With her radiant smiles and goofy-graceful physicality, she inhabits Barbie’s glamour and entitlement as effortlessly as she inhabits her hot-pink bell bottoms. But she also gradually punctures those upbeat vibes with tremulous notes of vulnerability and premonitions of disaster, right around the time her Barbie notices a patch of cellulite and begins having incongruous thoughts of death.

These intimations of mortality, which I wouldn’t have minded hearing about in even gnarlier detail, suggest cracks in Barbie’s psyche, but also in Barbie Land’s very foundations. To explain further would risk giving away the strange metaphysical rules that govern Barbie Land, its fantastic-plastic inhabitants and their tricky relationship to the real world. And that real world is ultimately Barbie’s destination, a place she sets out for in search of answers, not realizing that her own attention-starved Ken has stowed away in her little pink Corvette.

Ah yes, Ken. There are several Kens in this movie, all of them amiable second-class citizen hunks of Barbie Land, played by actors including Simu Liu, Kingsley Ben-Adir, Scott Evans and Ncuti Gatwa. But Gosling, as the neediest, most pathetically insecure Ken of the lot, rises to delicious new levels of actorly self-mockery. Sporting a platinum dye job that never fails to match his denim cutoffs, ’90s neon workout gear, pastel-striped beachwear and luxurious mink coat (sold separately), Gosling scores the expected laughs about Ken’s fashionista vanity , ambiguous sexuality and all-around preening petulance. But what makes him more than just another smooth-chested punchline is one of Gerwig’s deftest satirical touches: As it turns out, it doesn’t take long for a dude with serious self-esteem issues to open a Pandora’s box of patriarchal oppression.

Ryan Gosling and Greta Gerwig on how Ken became the subversive center of ‘Barbie’

Star Ryan Gosling and director Greta Gerwig open up about Ken’s journey to toxic masculinity and back in their comedy based on the iconic Mattel toys.

July 11, 2023

For toxic masculinity, though unheard of in Barbie Land, is of course alive and well in the real world, as Barbie and Ken are initially shocked to learn when they arrive on the sunny streets of Los Angeles. Here, women aren’t respected, let alone placed on polymer pedestals; they’re ogled, objectified, sidelined and worse. And to hear it from an angry teenager named Sasha (Ariana Greenblatt), Barbie herself deserves her share of the blame, being a tool of “sexualized capitalism” that “set the feminist movement back years.”

That’s the case for the Barbie prosecution, in a nutshell, and as you might expect, it isn’t allowed to go unchallenged. Sasha’s attack is the first of the script’s two big throw-down scenes; the second is a rousing feminist cri de coeur delivered by Sasha’s mom, Gloria (a winning America Ferrera), who’s on hand to temper her daughter’s scorn, emphasize Barbie’s enduring multigenerational appeal and remind us that, yes, you can love women and love Barbie too. It’s a hugely effective monologue, calculated for maximum applause and likely to get it. But “Barbie’s” feminism, something it wears proudly on its sequined sleeve, seldom needs such emphatic dramatic underlining to register.

The movie is at its best when it’s simply leaning into its own fast, funny, free-floating goofiness, whether it’s letting Kate McKinnon do her thing as a self-explanatory Weird Barbie, pitting multiple dancing Kens against each other in a hypnotic dream ballet, or throwing in a coconutty reference to “Monty Python and the Holy Grail.” I could’ve done without the filler-ish comic subplot featuring Will Ferrell as Mattel’s CEO, a mostly toothless bit of corporate ribbing that nonetheless does lead to a visually striking chase sequence through a maze of office cubicles, cleverly staged as a riff on Jacques Tati’s classic “Playtime.”

Gerwig’s wide-ranging movie love serves her well here; there’s something fitting and finally moving about the way Barbie’s journey of self-discovery takes her through a glittery funhouse of cinematic allusions. If Barbie Land can’t help but evoke the creepily self-contained utopia of “The Truman Show,” Barbie’s entire quest unfolds like a kind of reverse “Wizard of Oz,” in which she ends up leaving a trippy Technicolor dreamscape and traveling to a humdrum, grayed-out reality rather than the other way around. You might sense echoes of those films during this movie’s strange, beguiling final moments, and perhaps a callback to “2001” too. The evolution of Barbie continues.

'Barbie'

Rating: PG-13, for suggestive references and brief language Running time: 1 hour, 54 minutes Playing: Starts July 21 in general release

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‘Barbie’ May Be the Most Subversive Blockbuster of the 21st Century

• By David Fear

It’s tough to sell a decades-old doll and actively make you question why you’d still buy a toy that comes with so much baggage. (Metaphorically speaking, of course — literal baggage sold separately.) The makers of Barbie know this. They know that you know that it’s an attempt by Mattel to turn their flagship blonde bombshell into a bona fide intellectual property, coming to a multiplex near you courtesy of Warner Bros. And they’re also well aware that the announcement that Greta Gerwig would be co-writing and directing this movie about everyone’s favorite tiny, leggy bearer of impossible beauty standards suddenly transformed it from “dual corporate cash-in” to “dual corporate cash-in with a very high probability of wit, irony, and someone quoting Betty Friedan and/or Rebecca Walker.”

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Except, in the middle of one of their regular super-cool and totally awesome sing-alongs, Barbie blurts out, “You guys ever think about dying?” No one, least of all the shiny, happy person who said it, has any idea where that random bummer came from. The next morning, Barbie’s imaginary shower is cold. Her imaginary milk has curdled. The collective perkiness of her friends and neighbors only seems to highlight her inexplicably bad mood. Her stiletto-ready arches suddenly fall flat. And then, she comes face to face with what can only be described as the Thanos of the Barbie Cinematic Universe: cellulite.

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Once in our world, Barbie will encounter sexual harassment, gender inequity, the benefits of crying, the CEO of Mattel ( Will Ferrell ) and the mother (America Ferrara) and daughter (Ariana Greenblatt) who’ve introduced such morbid thoughts into her brain. Ken will discover horses, Hummer SUVs, and toxic masculinity . She returns with her new human friends to Barbieland in a state of dazed enlightenment. He comes back as a full-blown Kencel, spreading a gospel of full-frontal dude-ity.

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Critical thinking isn’t mind corruption, of course. Nor is pointing out that you can love something and recognize that it’s flawed or has become inflammatory over time, then striving to fix it. It’s definitely not a bad thing to turn a potential franchise, whether built on a line of dolls or not, into something that refuses to dumb itself down or pander to the lowest common denominator. And the victory that is Gerwig, Robbie, and Gosling — along with a supporting cast and crew that revel in the idea of joining a benefic Barbie party — slipping in heady notions about sexualization, capitalism, social devolution, human rights and self-empowerment, under the guise of a lucrative, brand-extending trip down memory lane? That’s enough to make you giddy. We weren’t kidding about the “subversive” part above; ditto the “blockbuster.” A big movie can still have big ideas in 2023. Even a Barbie movie. Especially a Barbie movie.

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Barbie review: A near-miraculous achievement from Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie

While it’s impossible for any studio film to be truly subversive, this mattel-approved comedy gets away with far more than you’d think was possible, article bookmarked.

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Barbie is one of the most inventive, immaculately crafted and surprising mainstream films in recent memory – a testament to what can be achieved within even the deepest bowels of capitalism. It’s timely, too, arriving a week after the creative forces behind these stories began striking for their right to a living wage and the ability to work without the threat of being replaced by an AI. It’s a pink-splattered manifesto to the power of irreplaceable creative labour and imagination.

While it’s impossible for any studio film to be truly subversive, especially when consumer culture has caught on to the idea that self-awareness is good for business (there’s nothing that companies love more these days than to feel like they’re in on the joke), Barbie gets away with far more than you’d think was possible. It’s a project that writer-director Greta Gerwig , co-writer (plus real-life partner and frequent collaborator) Noah Baumbach, and producer-star Margot Robbie were free to work on in relative privacy, holed up during the pandemic away from the meddlesome impulses of Warner Bros and Mattel executives.

The results are appropriately free-wheeling: There are nods to Jacques Demy’s The Umbrellas of Cherbourg and Jacques Tati’s Playtime , deployment of soundstage sets and dance choreography à la Hollywood’s musical Golden Age, and a mischievous streak of corporate satire that calls to mind 2001’s cult classic Josie and the Pussycats . But while the absurdity of its humour sits somewhere between It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World and Pee-wee’s Big Adventure , its earnest and vulnerable take on womanhood is pure Gerwig, serving as a direct continuation of her Lady Bird and Little Women .

The fact that all of this is tied to one of the most recognisable products in existence – and that any success it enjoys will undoubtedly boost Mattel’s stock prices – underlines the fact that it’s largely impossible to embrace art without embracing hypocrisy. Capitalism doesn’t always swallow art whole; occasionally it thrives in spite of it. And that’s a complexity that feels particularly on brand for a director who had her Jo March, in Little Women , declare: “I am so sick of people saying that love is just all a woman is fit for. I’m so sick of it! But – I am so lonely.”

Barbie contains another Gerwig-ian speech, delivered beautifully by an ordinary (human) mum played by America Ferrera, about the hellish trap women have been forced into. Caught between girl-boss feminism and outright misogyny, women now have to be rich, thin, liberated, and eternally grateful without ever breaking a sweat – because when Barbie promised little girls that “women can be anything”, those words got twisted to mean “women should be everything”. Gerwig’s movie begins by playing a brilliant trick on its audience: Helen Mirren’s opening narration is self-congratulatory, a bit of canned PR about Barbie’s “girl power” legacy that grows increasingly tongue-in-cheek. “Thanks to Barbie,” she concludes, “all problems of feminism and equal rights have been solved”.

We’re then introduced to our Barbie – ie “the Stereotypical Barbie” – who is chipper, confident, blonde, and, most importantly, looks like Margot Robbie. She is eternally adored by Ken ( Ryan Gosling ), whose job is “beach”. Not “lifeguard”, but “beach”. Barbie’s friends all have high-powered jobs: president (Issa Rae), author (Alexandra Shipp), physicist (Emma Mackey), doctor (Hari Nef), and lawyer (Sharon Rooney). Every morning, she steps into her shower (there’s no water), sets out her breakfast of a heart-shaped waffle with a dollop of whipped cream (she doesn’t eat), and then sets off in her pink convertible (she doesn’t walk downstairs, but merely floats). All is perfect. Then Barbie starts having irrepressible thoughts of death.

Barbie’s bid to fix that sudden, scary attack of humanity sees her visit “the Real World”, where she meets the all-male executive board of Mattel (among them Will Ferrell and a wonderfully dorky Jamie Demetriou), who think themselves qualified to determine what little girls like and need because they once had a woman CEO (or two, maybe). Meanwhile, Gerwig uses, through a hysterical farce centred around Gosling and his fellow Kens, the implicit matriarchy of Barbieland to explore how power and visibility shape a person’s self-perception. Gosling gives an all-timer of a comedic performance, one that’s part-baby, part-Zoolander, part-maniac, and 100 per cent a validation for anyone who ever liked him in 2016’s noir comedy The Nice Guys . There are (naturally) some exquisite outfits designed by Jacqueline Durran, some very funny references to discontinued Barbies (have fun reading up on the backstory behind Earring Magic Ken), and a few unexpected pops at fans of Duolingo, Top Gun , and Zack Snyder’s Justice League .

Barbie is joyous from minute to minute to minute. But it’s where the film ends up that really cements the near-miraculousness of Gerwig’s achievement. Very late in the movie, a conversation is had that neatly sums up one of the great illusions of capitalism – that creations exist independently from those that created them. It’s why films and television shows get turned into “content”, and why writers and actors end up exploited and demeaned. Barbie , in its own sly, silly way, gets to the very heart of why these current strikes are so necessary.

Dir: Greta Gerwig. Starring: Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, Simu Liu, America Ferrera, Kate McKinnon, Issa Rae, Rhea Perlman, Will Ferrell. 12A, 114 minutes.

‘Barbie’ is in cinemas from 21 July

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10 Harsh Realties Of Rewatching Barbie, 1 Year Later

10 major differences between george lucas' sequel trilogy plans & the disney movies, "there are very few films left that i'm interested in": denzel washington explains his gladiator 2 casting.

Barbie hits theaters on July 21, and the movie has already received rave reviews and earned a huge Rotten Tomatoes score. The long-anticipated movie is based on the iconic doll of the same name, but Warner Bros. has taken a much more creative approach to the movie compared to other IP-driven films. Barbie is directed by Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Greta Gerwig, stars Academy Award-nominated actor Margot Robbie, and co-written by Academy Award-nominated scribe Noah Baumbach. Needless to say, the fantasy comedy movie has some serious talent and prestige behind it.

Barbie needs $300 million to break even , and even though it's being released on the same day as the hotly-anticipated new Christopher Nolan movie, Oppenheimer , box office projections indicate there's no doubt Barbie will achieve this goal. Not only has Warner Bros. cleverly marketed the movie to appeal to everyone, regardless of age, gender, or Barbie doll opinions, but the film has now also achieved glowing reviews. At the time of writing, Barbie has a shockingly high "fresh" 90% on Rotten Tomatoes , and while that's subject to change with more reviews that become available, it'll hardly drop by much. Given the mass appeal of the movie, critics have numerous reasons for loving Barbie .

10 Barbie Is One Of The Funniest Movies Of The Year

Barbie has been endlessly praised for its humor, as Christy Lemire writes, “ Barbie can be hysterically funny, with giant laugh-out-loud moments generously scattered throughout ” (via Roger Ebert ). The movie is full of comedy, fun Easter eggs, and cameos that will make audiences grin from ear to ear, with John Cena as Merman Ken ticking every one of those boxes. Barbie also nails the meta-humor that many recent comedies have been attempting ever since it was popularized in its current form by 21 Jump Street . Though a couple of reviews criticized a couple of mean-spirited jokes, for the most part, the humor lands, and not one but several critics have called it one of the funniest comedies of the year.

9 Barbie Continues Greta Gerwig's Little Women & Lady Bird Themes

When Greta Gerwig was announced as Barbie's director, it came as a surprise given that the filmmaker is best known for Academy Award-winning dramas such as Little Women and Lady Bird . However, based on the themes of those movies, Gerwig was the perfect Barbie director, and her films are led by strong female characters, which she could apply to Barbie . That's exactly what she has done, as Ross Bonaime notes, " Barbie balances the incredibly pointed specificity of the jokes and relatability of Lady Bird, with the celebration of women and the ability to show a new angle of something we thought we knew like we saw with Gerwig’s take on Little Women " (via Collider ).

8 Barbie Is Visually Stunning

Anyone who has seen the Barbie trailer can see how the crew has gone to such a painstaking effort to make Barbie so visually pleasing, even for viewers who don't like the color pink. Michael Philips writes, " Highest honors to production designer Sarah Greenwood, costume designer Jacqueline Durran and cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto " (via Chicago Tribune ). The entire Barbie world, including a full-size Barbie dreamhouse, was built by a talented crew, and there was even a rumor about a shortage of pink paint due to the movie's production (via Los Angeles Times ). The costume design is equally impressive, and the wardrobe faithfully recreates iconic Barbie outfits that span decades.

7 Barbie Doesn't Feel Like An IP-Driven Cash Grab

With movies based on IP, specifically ones based on toys and board games, it's easy to churn out a low-quality cash grab, whether it's Battleship or the Transformers series. However, Barbie is anything but. Devan Coggan reveals that the movie is way more than just another one of those types of movies (via Entertainment Weekly ). The critic notes, " It’s Gerwig’s care and attention to detail that gives Barbie an actual point of view, elevating it beyond every other cynical, IP-driven cash grab ." With 2023 already having seen the release of Transformers: Rise of the Beasts and several movies based on branded products, an IP-based movie that takes some creative risks comes as a breath of fresh air.

6 Barbie Is Delightfully Unpredictable

With the meta premise of Barbie leaving her world and meeting her creators at Mattel in the real world, absolutely anything can happen in the movie. When Barbie finds out about the real world, it's unclear whether she'll decide to go back and lead an ignorantly blissful life in her own world or stay in this new reality. While a few critics have slammed the final act for being tonally uneven, it has also been praised for being wholly unpredictable. Tori Brazier calls Barbie " a summer movie so unexpected and so unpredictable that it will demand repeat viewings and future essays galore " (via Metro ).

5 Margot Robbie Is Perfectly Cast As Barbie

Margot Robbie has gotten endless praise for her performance in Barbie . Ross Bonaime's Collider review mentions, " [Robbie] has often excelled in these types of roles where we see the power a woman truly has in her environment, but there might not be a better example of that than in Barbie ." With a huge "fresh" 90%, Barbie is tied for Margot Robbie's best Rotten Tomatoes score ever , as it shares its score with I, Tonya and The Suicide Squad , and that's largely thanks to the actor's commitment to the role. Not only does Robbie physically mirror the iconic figure, but she turns a decades-old doll into a three-dimensional character that's more relevant now than ever. Not only that, but she somehow acts and moves her joints as if they're made of plastic too.

4 Ryan Gosling Is A Scene-Stealer As Ken

In addition to Robbie being showered with praise, Ryan Gosling's role as Ken has turned heads. Coggan explains, " For an actor who’s spent much of his career brooding moodily, here, he finally gets to tap into his inner Mousketeer ." Gosling is best known for his roles in Drive , Blade Runner 2049 , and The Gray Man , and he rarely ever cracks a smile in any of them. Even in romcoms like Crazy, Stupid, Love, he's remarkably stoic. However, he has 100% leaned into the campy vibes of the movie. Gosling hasn't dropped the Ken character either, as he has been embracing Ken during the press junkets with " Big Himbo Kenergy. "

3 Barbie Appeals To Both Children And Adults

Barbie was surprisingly rated PG-13 by the MPAA, meaning that anyone below 13 should be accompanied by an adult. The reason for the movie's MPAA rating is " suggestive references and brief language. " However, while there are a few sexual innuendos here and there that'll fly over children's heads, Barbie is suitable for kids . In fact, despite being a movie based on a doll originally marketed towards little girls, Barbie appeals to kids, teens, and adults. Coggan reveals, " Barbie works hard to entertain both 11-year-old girls and the parents who’ll bring them to the theater ."

2 Barbie Is A Clever & Biting Satire

Mireia Mullor is one of many critics who have been won over by Barbie 's clever satire (via Digital Spy ). The critic writes, " Life in plastic is fantastic indeed: Barbie is a sharp, hilarious and joy-contagious satire of gender roles. " Margot Robbie had one Barbie condition when signing onto the movie, which was that she wanted a diverse roster of Barbies not tied to one skin color or body type. That helped the movie become a biting satire and a social commentary on the Barbie brand. The movie certainly indulges in exactly what the movie is satirizing, such as the flashy cars, houses, and outfits, and in that respect, it oddly draws similarities to Robbie's breakthrough movie, The Wolf of Wall Street .

1 Barbie Is Much More Than A Toy Commercial

In the best way possible, Peter Bradshaw points out that the 2023 movie is an elevated toy movie (via The Guardian ). The critic writes, " This movie is perhaps a giant two-hour commercial for a product, although no more so than The Lego Movie, yet Barbie doesn’t go for the comedy jugular anywhere near as gleefully as that. " While Barbie dolls will undoubtedly fly off the shelves with the release of the new Barbie movie, that clearly wasn't the first intention of Gerwig and Robbie. The movie is a tasteful take on the iconic doll, and with its meta-jokes and satirical take on the brand, Barbie is much more like The LEGO Movie than The Emoji Movie in regard to showcasing the product.

Key Release Dates

Barbie scores impressive Rotten Tomatoes rating as critics hail much-awaited blockbuster

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Barbie has scored an impressive 89% on Rotten Tomatoes ahead of its release this Friday.

The film, directed by Oscar winner Greta Gerwig , sees Barbie ( Margot Robbie ), experience an existential crisis and is forced to leave Barbieland to discover her true purpose.

Her kind-of boyfriend Ken ( Ryan Gosling ) joins her on a journey of self-discovery but soon after they enter the “real world” they learn several home truths about themselves while trying to dodge the fictional chief executive of doll manufacturer Mattel (Will Ferrell).

The blockbuster stars Robbie as the pink-loving title character alongside a cast including Emma Mackey, Ncuti Gatwa, Simu Liu and Dua Lipa.

And on Wednesday, the highly-anticipated flick debuted on the review-aggregation website with an impressive score and many of the 96 reviews agreeing that Barbie is a must-watch.

David Sims from The Atlantic called the film “a very charming success”, while Tomris Laffly from The Wrap said it’s a “soulful film underneath all the persistent fuchsia”.

Elsewhere Rolling Stone’s David Fear said: “A big movie can still have big ideas in 2023. Even a Barbie movie. Especially a Barbie movie.”

Peter Howell from Toronto Star credited the cast for their “stellar” performances, adding that, they’re the “funniest” ensemble he’s “seen in some time.”

Meanwhile, Gerwig’s filmmaking skills were applauded by New York Times’ Manohla Dargis, who wrote that the Mattel brand looms large in the film, but “Gerwig, whose directorial command is so fluent she seems born to filmmaking, is announcing that she’s in control”.

In the Standard’s five star review , Charlotte O’Sullivan hailed Barbie “the comedy of the year.”

She wrote: “Weird and wonderful, it’s one of the funnest and funniest movies ever made – and is brilliantly spearheaded by actress and producer Margot Robbie, along with writer-director Greta Gerwig.”

Barbie is out in cinemas on Friday, July 21

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Barbie Movie Reviews: Critics Share Strong First Reactions

Greta Gerwig's Barbie movie is nearly here, and critics shared their first reactions after the first press screenings.

Featuring a massive cast of A-listers including Margot Robbie as the titular Barbie along with Ryan Gosling, Simu Liu , and plenty more, Barbie looks set to make a huge impression on moviegoers in a summer jam-packed with blockbusters.

Coming in with a somewhat expected PG-13 rating , Barbie will put the iconic Mattel doll into the big-screen spotlight for the first time, putting forth a wild adventure that will show fans how to see their own inner beauty.

Critics React to Barbie Screenings

Members of the press shared their first reactions to the upcoming Barbie movie after the film had its world premiere event and its first official screenings.

This comes only a few days after Time Magazine got to release its own write-up for the movie , with the reception being positive as it was called "a fun yet self-aware romp."

Variety's Katcy Stephan praised Barbie as "perfection," highlighting director Greta Gerwig for bringing "a nuanced commentary" on being a woman while celebrating leading actors Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling:

"'Barbie' is perfection. Greta Gerwig delivers a nuanced commentary on what it means to be a woman in a whimsical, wonderful and laugh-out-loud funny romp. The entire cast shines, especially Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling in roles they were clearly born to play."

ComicBook.com's Jamie Jirak called Barbie her "favorite film of the year," urging critics and Oscar voters to "give Ryan Gosling an Oscar nomination" for his performance:

"I can't officially quit Twitter before telling you all that 'Barbie' is currently my favorite film of the year. Greta Gerwig somehow exceeded my expectations. She tackles the positives and negatives of Barbie so beautifully. Give Ryan Gosling an Oscar nomination, I'm dead serious!"

Collider's Perri Nemiroff noted that the "craftsmanship is incredible" in Barbie and praised the film for its "next-level work" on production design, but she felt "a bit more mixed" about the plot and the story:

"I have seen 'Barbie!' The craftsmanship is incredible. In particular the costume & production design includes next-level work that heavily contributes to creating the feeling that these truly are Barbies, their dream houses, and their worlds come to life. As for the story, that’s where I’m a bit more mixed. I think the film serves Margot Robbie’s Barbie and her journey especially well, but there are other characters experiencing important arcs that needed more screen time to really dig into and explore to the fullest."

Rotten Tomatoes critic Carla Renata confirmed that Barbie director Greta Gerwig had her "all in [her] feelings" and pointed out the "dance numbers led by Simu Liu" as some of her favorite moments:

"I saw 'Barbie The Movie' and Greta Gerwig left me all in my feelings as did the production design, costumes, Hair and makeup! I was living for the dance numbers led by Simu Liu! It’s overblown fun with a feminist twist"

YouTuber Sharronda Williams called Barbie "witty, heartfelt, and downright fun" while praising Robbie and Gosling, but she also pointed out that the "screenplay feels bloated at times:"

"'Barbie The Movie' is witty, heartfelt, and downright fun at times. Ryan Gosling is a scene stealer delivering most of the laughs while Margot Robbie’s heartfelt performance will tug at your heartstrings. While I enjoyed most of the film the screenplay feels bloated at times teetering between the camp 'Barbie' movie we expected to a sometimes too on the nose social commentary of society that takes away from important subplots & character development. The production and costume design is stunning but overall I left wanting a bit more from the film.

Screen Rant's Joe Deckelmeier noted that Barbie caught him "off guard...in the best possible way," praising the cast and director while calling the film "funny, bombastic, & very smart:"

"'Barbie' caught me off guard & I mean that in the best way possible. It’s funny, bombastic, & very smart. Greta Gerwig aims for the fences & hits a home-run. Margot Robbie’s performance is great & Ryan Gosling & Simu Liu are pure entertainment! The whole cast is brilliant!"

AAFCA's Ty Cole explained how Barbie "peels the layers off the superficial doll" on which the film was inspired while also putting Ken into the spotlight as he is "figuring his identity out:"

"'Barbie' is everything you wouldn’t expect. It peels the layers off the superficial doll we all grew up with while showing how Ken is more than an asset and is figuring his identity out."

Will Fans React Favorably After Positive Barbie Reviews?

Considering the heartwarming message laid out in Barbie , it's no surprise that critics are liking the blockbuster.

The big question now is whether fans will have the same positive reactions when the movie debuts to the public, especially with heavy competition coming this month in Mission Impossible 7 , Oppenheimer , and Haunted Mansion .

With plenty of moments deemed mature in nature coming in this story, Greta Gerwig and her team appear to have made an adventure that will appeal to all kinds of fans who have seen the Barbie brand evolve over the years.

And with such a jam-packed journey fitting seamlessly into a fairly-compact runtime of less than two hours , many are itching to see exactly what this Barbie world has in store.

Barbie will debut in theaters worldwide on Friday, July 21.

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‘Barbie’ Reviews Are In: Slickly Subversive or Inescapably Corporate?

Some critics viewed the highly-anticipated movie as satirically capitalistic, while others saw it as capitalistically satirical.

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By Julia Jacobs

As reviews for “Barbie” rolled out ahead of its weekend opening, a critical divide emerged.

Some thought that Greta Gerwig, the acclaimed director of “Lady Bird” and “Little Women,” had met the expectations for a more subversive take on the 11.5-inch Mattel phenomenon. They thought Gerwig’s script, which she collaborated on with her partner, Noah Baumbach, succeeded in acknowledging the criticisms that the Barbie brand has received over the years — including unrealistic representations of women’s bodies and, up until recent years, a lack of diversity in its collection — while presenting a comedy that leans into the delightful weirdness of the Barbie universe. Others felt that the director did not go far enough in dinging her corporate sponsors, keeping the critiques of consumerism and female beauty standards at surface level.

Critics tended to be unified in their praise of the movie’s stars, however, celebrating Margot Robbie’s surprising emotional depth as the so-called stereotypical Barbie who embarks on an eye-opening journey outside of the meticulously manufactured dolls’ world, as well as Ryan Gosling’s deadpan comedy as a Ken who delights in his discovery of the patriarchy.

Read on for some highlights.

‘Barbie’ May Be the Most Subversive Blockbuster of the 21st Century [ Rolling Stone ]

The movie does more than avoid delivering a two-hour commercial for Mattel, David Fear writes, suggesting that the movie could be “the most subversive blockbuster of the 21st century to date.”

“This is a saga of self-realization, filtered through both the spirit of free play and the sense that it’s not all fun and games in the real world — a doll’s story that continually drifts into the territory of ‘A Doll’s House,’” Fear writes. “This is a movie that wants to have its Dreamhouse and burn it down to the ground, too.”

We Shouldn’t Have to Grade Barbie on a Curve [ Vulture ]

In one of the most critical reviews of the movie’s approach to gender politics, Alison Willmore writes that “it’s not a rebuke of corporatized feminism so much as an update,” noting “a streak of defensiveness to ‘Barbie,’ as though it’s trying to anticipate and acknowledge any critiques lodged against it before they’re made.”

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Barbie director's highest-rated movie on Rotten Tomatoes comes to Prime Video

A must watch, but be ready for tears

QUICK SUMMARY

Barbie may be a brilliant film but it isn't Greta Gerwig's best. That honour belongs to Lady Bird a brilliant coming of age  story coming to Prime Video on the 22nd of February. 

Barbie was the cinematic event of 2023, and for director Greta Gerwig it was a massive success but it isn't the filmmaker's best movie. That belongs instead to her full directorial debut, Lady Bird . 

Coming to Amazon Prime Video on February 22nd, there's no excuse not to watch this tale that all of us can relate to. Not only do I consider it Gerwig's magnum opus, but so do the critics with a massive 99% on Rotten Tomatoes higher than Barbie (88%) and Little Women (92%). 

If you've ever grown up or are still growing up (i.e. everyone) Lady Bird will speak to you. Saoirse Ronan plays (with aplomb) the title character - real name Catherine - a rebellious teenager in 2002. With just a year of school left before college, Lady Bird (as she insists on being called now) is desperate to find her own identity and dreams of the East Coast, the opposite side of the country to her home in Sacramento. 

We follow Lady Bird for a host of teenage scrapes and misadventures, often funny and sometimes sad. Lady Bird has her first boyfriend, fights with her best friend Julie (Beanie Feldstein) and even has a run-in with an even fresher-faced Timothée Chalamet. 

Still, the central relationship of the film is between Lady Bird and her mother (Laurie Metcalfe putting in incredible work). Despite their closeness, the two's relationship could probably best be described as 'dysfunctional'. In one famous early scene Lady Bird clashes with her mother and to settle the argument, simply jumps out of a moving car, breaking her arm.

What sets Lady Bird apart is just how brilliant the dialogue is. Almost every line is a subtle gem and Ronan and Metcalfe are superb together. Be warned though by the end you will have worked your way through most of a box of tissues. The final scene in particular absolutely ruined me (and still does). You'll want to hug your mother as soon as the credits roll. 

I loved Barbie but the semi-autobiographical nature of Lady Bird gives Gerwig ample opportunity to play with our heartstrings, and boy does she.  

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Andy is T3's Tech Staff Writer, covering all things technology, including his biggest passions such as gaming, AI, phones, and basically anything cool and expensive he can get his hands on. If he had to save one possession from a fire it would be his PlayStation 5. He previously worked for Tom’s Guide - where he got paid to play with ChatGPT every day. When it comes to streaming, Andy will have his headphones glued in whilst watching something that will make him laugh. He studied Creative Writing at university, but also enjoys supporting his favourite football team (Liverpool), watching F1, teaching himself guitar, and spending time with his dog.

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The Biggest Box Office Bombs Of 2024 (So Far)

Filmmaking is a costly business, and as technology improves and becomes more complex, films end up costing more and more. It used to be almost unthinkable for a movie to break the $100 million mark, but these days, the line has moved to breaking the $1 billion mark. Films that once cost $3 million now cost upwards of $50 million. Some movies break these barriers and make a profit, but not always.

For a film to become profitable, it needs to earn twice its production budget and cover the costs of distribution and marketing, after the theater owners take their cut. It's more complicated than that, and movie math isn't quite that simple, but doubling the budget is a reasonable method of finding out the break-even point a movie must surpass to make a profit.

2024 got off to a slow start but has shaped up to be an impressive year at the box office, with mega hits like "Inside Out 2" and "Deadpool and Wolverine" earning well beyond $1 billion. This isn't something every film achieves, and some films released in 2024 haven't made anywhere near as much money. The studios and investors responsible for making the films in this list lost their money, which is unfortunate, but 2024 has also been a big year for box office bombs.

Arthur the King

"Arthur the King," starring Mark Wahlberg and Simu Liu, is based on Mikael Lindnord's 2016 memoir "Arthur: The Dog Who Crossed the Jungle to Find a Home." In the film, adventure racer Michael Light (Wahlberg) embarks on a 435-mile journey with a street dog named Arthur.

The film did well with critics, earning a 70% "fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with reviews praising the narrative and Wahlberg's acting. Unfortunately, films that do well with critics don't always earn a ton of money, and "Arthur the King" can certainly be counted among them. The film cost around $19 million to make, but only brought in either $32.2 million or $40.8 million, depending on the source.

The latter would place it a hair above its break-even point, but even if those numbers are correct, movie math suggests it likely lost money. Regardless, "Arthur the King" is absolutely worth watching, but be prepared to shed a tear or two as the film masterfully tugs at the heartstrings.

The First Omen

The "Omen" franchise kicked off in 1976 with "The Omen," which was followed by three sequels. The franchise pretty much ended with "Omen IV: The Awakening" in 1991, though it was followed by a television series and a 2006 remake. "The First Omen" is the latest addition to the franchise, but this time, it's a prequel.

"The First Omen" fills in the backstory and gaps left by "The Omen," from the impetus of the Satanic conspiracy to the birth of Damien, the Antichrist. Both fans and critics agreed it was an excellent addition to the series, with "The First Omen" scoring an 81% "fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes. But audiences stayed away from theaters, possibly since the franchise had been all but dead by 2024.

Whatever the reason, "The First Omen" earned only $53.8 million off a production budget of $30 million. This puts its earnings at 89.74% of its break-even point, ensuring that it bombed. It's surprising that such a well-made movie failed at the box office, but thanks to streaming services, it's found a new life. According to ScreenRant, "The First Omen" landed in the top 10 titles across numerous streaming platforms upon its debut.

Ordinary Angels

Based on true events that occurred during a cold wave that hit North America in 1994, "Ordinary Angels" starred Hilary Swank as Sharon, a hairdresser who brings an entire community together to help a widowed father (Alan Ritchson) save his daughter's life. It's definitely a feel-good movie, and was a huge success with critics and moviegoers, earning an 84% "fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes, as well as a remarkably high audience score of 99%. Still, despite the love for the movie, it didn't translate into success: The film reportedly cost $13 million to produce, but only made $20.5 million at the box office.

That put "Ordinary Angels" at just 79.10% of its break-even point. One of the main reasons the film likely flopped was that it was perceived and marketed as a faith-based movie. Historically, faith-based films have often underperformed as they struggled to break through to a mainstream audience. They can sometimes make this up in the rental or streaming markets, but few achieve the success of "Sound of Freedom" or "The Passion of the Christ."

The vampire movie has been around for almost as long as the medium itself, and in most cases, there's very little originality left in the genre. That's not true of "Abigail," which does something unique with the concept. The film breaks standard vampire rules by centering its narrative on a little girl, Abigail (Alisha Weir), who's actually a bloodsucker — but inexplicably has a pulse.

The film revolves around a group of kidnappers who take Abigail hostage in her home, though they have no idea what they've gotten themselves into. One by one, Abigail picks them off, playing with her food as it were, and it's a fun ride ... for the audience, not for the would-be kidnappers. The film did well with critics, nabbing an 83% "fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

When it came time to count the box office receipts, "Abigail" underperformed. The film cost $28 million to produce, but only took in $42.4 million at the global box office, putting it at 75.73% of its break-even point. It's unclear why the film failed, but it could have been due to a poor marketing campaign or a general disinterest in the genre via oversaturation.

The Fall Guy

Ryan Gosling had an excellent 2023, thanks to playing Ken in "Barbie," and it looked like he was up for another big hit in 2024 with "The Fall Guy." The film follows Gosling's stunt performer, Colt Seavers, who comes out of semi-retirement to work on his ex-girlfriend Jody Moreno's (Emily Blunt) directorial debut, while he's simultaneously drawn into a deadly conspiracy.

"The Fall Guy" had it all: action, adventure, romance, and plenty of laughs, so it seemed like a surefire hit. Rotten Tomatoes had it sitting at an 82% "fresh" rating, so it definitely had what it took to impress critics. But despite everything the movie had going for it, "The Fall Guy" bombed at the box office . The film cost $140 million to produce, and it ended its theatrical run with only $178 million.

This put earnings for "The Fall Guy" at just 63.62% of its break-even point. "The Fall Guy" was based on a 1980s TV series on ABC, which was popular during its 113-episode run. But there's not a lot of enduring nostalgia for that IP, so the built-in fan base wasn't there to drive viewers to theaters, which may explain why it flopped.

Sony's live-action "Spider-Man"-adjacent film franchise has been a bit spotty of late, with "Morbius" and "Venom" doing particularly poorly with critics. Despite these missteps, Sony carried on and released "Madame Web" in 2024, resulting in the biggest box office bomb in the entire "Spider-Man" extended franchise — even "Morbius" performed better at the global box office.

"Madame Web" features an all-star cast, including Dakota Johnson, Sydney Sweeney, Celeste O'Connor, and Isabela Merced. Johnson plays Cassandra Webb, aka Madame Web. The story focuses on her newfound ability to predict the future as it relates to the core cast of characters and their fight against Ezekiel Sims (Tahar Rahim), who seeks to kill them before they can do the same to him.

The film was a bust, costing $80 million to produce with only $100 million returned at the box office, earning just 54.95% of what it needed to break even. The film bombed for various reasons , including a terrible script, wooden acting, horrendous word-of-mouth, and the fact that it bore almost no resemblance to the comics that supposedly inspired it. "Madame Web" was also a critical failure, garnering only an 11% "rotten" rating on Rotten Tomatoes' Tomatometer.

The Watchers

"The Watchers" is the directorial debut of Ishana Night Shyamalan, the daughter of M. Night Shyamalan, who also produced the film. The movie stars Dakota Fanning, Georgia Campbell, and others in a story about Mina (Fanning), who finds herself trapped in a deep, untouched forest in Ireland. She finds shelter but becomes trapped with some strangers inside as dangerous creatures congregate outside every night.

While some financial failures do well with critics, "The Watchers" wasn't one of them. The film managed to score only a 32% "rotten" rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Bad reviews often keep people away from theaters, and it appears that may have happened with this film, which some critics panned for its dull story and overuse of exposition.

Others compared Shyamalan's directing style to her father's, even going so far as to call out the family for nepotism. "The Watchers" wasn't exceptionally expensive, costing $30 million to produce. Unfortunately, the movie's box office take barely moved beyond that amount, earning only $32.9 million and putting "The Watchers'" 54.95% shy of what it needed to earn to edge into the black.

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga

The "Mad Max" franchise was seemingly dead until director George Miller revived it with 2015's "Mad Max: Fury Road." That film wasn't a blockbuster, but earned just enough — along with critical raves and six Oscar wins — to get Miller the green light for 2024's "Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga." The prequel details the early life and exploits of its titular hero, who was introduced in "Fury Road," as played by Charlize Theron.

"Furiosa" featured Anya Taylor-Joy in the starring role, and the film brought all the action, explosions, chase scenes, and mayhem fans have come to expect from the franchise. The film wasn't cheap, costing around $168 million to shoot. That put its break-even point rather high, and after taking in $172.7 million, "Furiosa" took in just 51.42% of its needed gross.

The film did exceptionally well with critics, garnering a 90% "fresh" rating from Rotten Tomatoes, so its failure is somewhat inexplicable. "Furiosa" flat-out bombed at the box office , possibly due to the recasting of the lead, the often poor performance of prequels, or the near decade that passed between the release of "Fury Road" and "Furiosa." It's unfortunate, as "Furiosa" is an excellent film, which would have done far better if its cost was reduced.

Lisa Frankenstein

Horror comedies often do well because they don't cost much to make, so merging the genres often leads to success. Of course, that's not always the case, and "Lisa Frankenstein" is an unfortunate example of a failed horror comedy. The film is about a teenage girl, Lisa (Kathryn Newton), who crushes hard on a corpse.

She brings him back to life, and they embark on a journey of love and murder in an ongoing quest to replace his decaying body parts. "Lisa Frankenstein" is one of those films that is split between critics and audiences. Critics gave it a 52% "rotten" rating on Rotten Tomatoes, while audiences loved it, giving it an 81% audience score.

That's not too uncommon for movies that lean heavily into humor over realism, but despite audience favorability, the film didn't do well at the box office. "Lisa Frankenstein" wasn't expensive, costing only $13 million to produce. Unfortunately, it bombed hard, earning just under $10 million at the global box office. This put the film's earnings at 38.18% of its break-even point. It likely failed due to poor marketing, a release during Super Bowl weekend, and its short theatrical run.

"Argylle" is a spy comedy starring Bryce Dallas Howard as Elly Conway, a reclusive novelist about to complete her fifth book about superspy Aubrey Argylle (Henry Cavill). Before she can finish, she falls into an espionage conspiracy where her writing appears to be based on real life, pushing her beyond her limits to learn the truth of her place in the world.

"Argylle" has an excellent cast that includes Sam Rockwell, Samuel L. Jackson, and others. The film wasn't cheap, costing $200 million to produce, but it only made $96 million at the global box office, putting its earnings at 24.06% of its break-even point. "Argylle" also did poorly with critics, earning a 33% "rotten" rating on Rotten Tomatoes, while its audience score sits at 72%.

There are several reasons why "Argylle" bombed at the box office beyond its incredibly high price tag. The film had a confusing marketing campaign that made it seem as if Cavill was in it more than he was. Also, the film's narrative goes off the rails in the third act, making it one of the cheesiest action comedies produced in the 21st century.

The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare

Henry Cavill's 2024 hasn't shaped up to be his best year as an actor, as two of his biggest releases flopped at the box office. Shortly after "Argylle" bombed, "The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare" failed to achieve its financial goals. That's despite the film being a masterclass in spy action comedies that hit every mark despite its box office earnings.

The film is a fictionalized telling of a real-life story about a band of off-the-books covert operatives who take out a Nazi submarine depot during WWII. Critics gave the film a 69% "fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes, while audiences enjoyed it even more, giving "The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare" a 93% audience score.

The film cost an estimated $60 million to produce, which wasn't much considering the sets, cast, and visual effects used in the movie. Of course, none of that matters if the tickets aren't sold, and the film ended its theatrical run with only $27.5 million. That put the earnings for "The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare" at a mere 22.88% of its break-even point, with the film likely failing due to a limited release and stiff competition.

Drive-Away Dolls

Director Ethan Coen co-wrote and helmed "Drive-Away Dolls," which is the first film he's done without his brother, Joel Coen. That directing duo produced numerous mid-sized hits for decades, and Ethan's first solo effort continued their streak with critics, if not with audiences. 

"Drive-Away Dolls" is a road trip crime comedy about two lesbian besties, Jamie (Margaret Qualley) and Marian (Geraldine Viswanathan). The two become involved in a criminal conspiracy on their jaunt to Tallahassee, Florida. "Drive-Away Dolls" did well with critics, landing a 63% "fresh" Rating from Rotten Tomatoes. Unfortunately, audiences disagreed, giving the film a 35% audience score. The film's budget has been estimated to be around $20 million, which is a lot for a road trip comedy. That amount meant "Drive-Away Dolls" needed to blow up the competition at the box office.

The film took in $7.9 million at the box office, putting its earnings at 19.82% of its break-even point. There are many reasons why the movie was a box office disappointment , but the primary one for "Drive-Away Dolls" was its marketing campaign. The 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike delayed its release, messing up its rollout and resulting in too few people even knowing about it.

Fly Me to the Moon

A period rom-com starring Scarlett Johansson and Channing Tatum, "Fly Me to the Moon" is set during the Space Race and revolves around the relationship between the NASA director in charge of the Apollo 11 launch (Tatum) and a marketing specialist (Johansson) brought in to stage a fake Moon landing should the real mission fail.

Typically, rom-coms aren't incredibly expensive, but that's not true of "Fly Me to the Moon." The film required a lot of cash to create its period setting, amounting to a production budget of $100 million. This meant the movie needed to pull in at least $200 million to make a profit, which is a big ask for a rom-com.

In the end, "Fly Me to the Moon" made $39.6 million, putting its earnings at just 19.73% of its break-even point. The film did moderately well with critics, earning a 64% "fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The cast was right, the script was well-written, and the direction was on point. Unfortunately, "Fly Me to the Moon" simply cost too much, resulting in one of the year's biggest box office bombs.

Horizon: An American Saga — Chapter 1

Kevin Costner has always been a fan of epic movies, earning great acclaim for "Dances With Wolves" and others. For "Horizon: An American Saga — Chapter 1," Costner went really big, presenting it as the first of a four-movie saga that he would direct and star in, as well as co-write and co-produce. While this type of big swing has worked in the past for Costner, it didn't work this time around, and the financial losses were staggering.

"Horizon: An American Saga — Chapter 1" was filmed back-to-back with "Chapter 2," costing $100 million in total. If you split that in half, the first film in the trilogy had to earn at least $100 million to break even. Unfortunately, it only made $32.7 million, or just 16.34% of its break-even point. Critics also didn't hold back on Costner's vision , giving it a 49% "rotten" rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

The film bombed so badly that the sequel was pulled from its August 2024 release. "Chapter 2" was already in the can and ready to go, but lost its theatrical launch due to the failure of the first film, ultimately settling for a premiere at the Venice Film Festival instead of a wider rollout. It's hard to say at this point whether the next two chapters will even see the light of day.

5 free movies on Tubi UK with over 89% on Rotten Tomatoes that are perfect for the long weekend

Freebies to keep you entertained this weekend

Another Bank Holiday weekend is upon us in the UK, which means more time to relax and spend time on our hobbies. Now, if you're anything like me, I like to use at least one of those days to catch up on my ever-growing watchlist. Believe it or not, even entertainment journalists sometimes find their lists getting out of hand.

Imagine my joy, then, when I found these high-rated movies available to stream completely free thanks to Tubi UK, which recently launched here with an impressive library. Some of these I've seen, some of these I really want to, and there's a great mix.

Whether you want a comedy about a struggling dancer, a historical drama directed by George Clooney, or a meta Aubrey Plaza movie, it's all here, and it's sure to keep you entertained over the next few days.

RT Score:  92% Length:  85 minutes Director:  Noah Baumbach Main cast: Greta Gerwig, Mickey Sumner, Adam Driver, Michael Zegen 

Greta Gerwig is big in the directing world right now with hits such as Barbie , Little Women, and Lady Bird , but she's also a very impressive actress. In Frances Ha , she plays a struggling dancer apartment hopping across New York City while trying to navigate life as a 20-something.

It's a movie that many of us can relate to. Trying to feel at home in a big city while chasing a dream, it's a tale as old as time and this character-driven script will reel you in with its often painfully accurate representation of trying to make it on your own. It's not all bad, though, as the overall message of Frances Ha is a surprisingly uplifting one, and there's plenty of comedic moments too.

• Watch Frances Ha on Tubi

RT Score:  89% Length:  104 minutes Director:  Lawrence Michael Levine Main cast: Aubrey Plaza, Christopher Abbott, Sarah Gadon, Paola Lázaro

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Aubrey Plaza of Parks and Recreation fame has a very different vibe in this movie. Billed as a "film about filmmaking", prepare yourself for quite the confusing journey as we follow Plaza's independent filmmaker character Allison who ends up at a couple's remote house set in the mountains.

She soon finds herself entangled in their complicated relationship and that's when it gets weird (in a good way). You'll have to watch it to get what I mean, but it's a unique movie in every sense of the word, which is probably why there's such a division between the critic (89%) and audience (65%) score on Rotten Tomatoes. If nothing else, it'll get you talking!

• Watch Black Bear on Tubi

Good Night, and Good Luck

RT Score:  93% Length:  93 minutes Director:  George Clooney, Main cast: David Strathairn, Patricia Clarkson, George Clooney, Jeff Daniels, Robert Downey Jr.

Hollywood legend George Clooney has directed nine movies to date, with Good Night, and Good Luck standing out as the best of them. If you're after some historical drama this weekend, the critics' consensus says it "has plenty to say about today's political and cultural climate, and its ensemble cast is stellar".

Here, we explore the conflict between veteran journalist Edward R. Murrow (Strathairn) and U.S. Senator Joseph McCarthy of Wisconsin. The movie features archive footage of McCarthy himself, as well as footage from the televised Army-McCarthy hearings.

• Watch Good Night, and Good Luck on Tubi

Cinema Paradiso

RT Score : 91% Length: 155 minutes Director:  Giuseppe Tornatore Main cast: Philippe Noiret, Jacques Perrin, Antonella Attili, Pupella Maggio

With music by the great composer Ennio Morricone and his son Andrea, Cinema Paradiso is a real cinematic treat for the senses and a love letter to the art of filmmaking. 

Set in a small Sicilian town, it's about the friendship between a young boy and an ageing projectionist who works at the titular movie theatre. The movie is certainly an influential one and has even been credited for revitalizing Italy's film industry, winning the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film and the Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival. 

• Watch Cinema Paradiso on Tubi

RT Score: 92% Length: 118 minutes Director: Christopher Nolan Main cast: Al Pacino, Robin Williams, Hilary Swank, Maura Tierney, Martin Donovan

It might not be one of Nolan's biggest movies, often overshadowed by the likes of Inception or The Dark Knight trilogy, but this underrated gem is absolutely worth your time if you haven't seen it, especially if you're in the mood for a solid thriller.

With an excellent cast including the late, great Robin Williams facing off against Al Pacino, the movie film follows two detectives investigating a murder in Alaska. But tensions are high when the killer witnesses an accidental shooting committed by one of the detectives, changing their relationship. It is the only movie directed by Nolan that he did not write or co-write, and is instead a remake of the 1997 Norwegian film of the same name.

• Watch Insomnia on Tubi 

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• 3 of my favorite thriller movies of all time are free to watch on Tubi – don’t miss them
• 3 free movies added to Tubi in August with 94% and higher on Rotten Tomatoes
• Got Tubi? Here are three sci-fi spectaculars with over 90% on Rotten Tomatoes that you can stream for free

Lucy is a long-time movie and television lover who is an approved critic on Rotten Tomatoes. She has written several reviews in her time, starting with a small self-ran blog called Lucy Goes to Hollywood before moving onto bigger websites such as What's on TV and What to Watch, with TechRadar being her most recent venture. Her interests primarily lie within horror and thriller, loving nothing more than a chilling story that keeps her thinking moments after the credits have rolled. Many of these creepy tales can be found on the streaming services she covers regularly.

When she’s not scaring herself half to death with the various shows and movies she watches, she likes to unwind by playing video games on Easy Mode and has no shame in admitting she’s terrible at them. She also quotes The Simpsons religiously and has a Blinky the Fish tattoo, solidifying her position as a complete nerd. 

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Weekend Box Office

Weekend box office: alien: romulus dethrones deadpool & wolverine, fede alvarez's horror film managed to knock the blockbuster superhero flick out of first place, but the latter held on to second and became the highest-grossing r-rated film ever worldwide..

TAGGED AS: Box Office , movies , news

The last film to lead the box office four weeks in a row was Barbie . The Super Mario Bros. Movie and Avatar: The Way of Water also did it last year. Deadpool & Wolverine had a chance to be the first in 2024 to achieve that this weekend. Instead, a new Alien film was released by the Fox division of Disney to take it down. Oh, the irony. The money is still coming from inside the same house, and they have every reason to be happy with these numbers for Romulus , provided word-of-mouth helps to keep them going.

King of the Crop: Alien: Romulus Dethrones  Deadpool & Wolverine

Alien: Romulus indeed led the way this weekend. Last week we saw the 11th-best opening ever in the month of August. This week we have the 17th-best ever, just behind xXx ($44.5 million) and ahead of The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor ($40.4 million). Romulus’ $41.5 million start, even with inflation consideration, was the third-best opening ever for the franchise behind Prometheus’ $51 million start in June 2012 and David Fincher’s Alien 3 , which would have amounted to a $43.6 million opening today. James Cameron’s Aliens would be about a $28.8 million start; Ridley Scott’s 1979 original would clock in with a total around $342 million and Aliens about $244 million. Romulus is hoping to make a run at those totals with $108 million globally to start.

What Romulus would like to do is to zero in on those Prometheus numbers and pass them up. As strong as Scott’s prequel opened, word-of-mouth was not its friend. The film trailed off to conclude with $126.4 million, a mere 2.47 multiple over its opening. Scott’s 2017 follow-up, Alien: Covenant , opened decently to $36 million only to suffer a worse fate – a multiple of just 2.05 – and finished with just $74 million. That was still just a minor disappointment budget-wise for Fox. Alien: Resurrection in 1997 is the only film in the series to post noticeable losses. (Yes, even bigger than the Alien vs. Predator films.) AvP is actually the highest opening weekend ever in August ($38.2 million) to not finish with $100 million domestic. ( Freddy vs. Jason is the second highest.) Romulus’ reported $80 million budget appears to be easy enough to overcome now, as long as it doesn’t flame out quickly or get the Twisters treatment overseas. It is only about a quarter of the way to catching Prometheus’ $400 million worldwide haul.

The Top 10 and Beyond: Deadpool Sets New Record,  It Ends with Us Holds Strong

No that any tears should be shed for Deadpool & Wolverine . After all, it passed a billion dollars last weekend and a half billion domestically this week. Adding another $29 milllion into the mix, it stands at over $545 million in North America, the eighth highest ever after 24 days of release. That is still $11 million ahead of Inside Out 2’ s overall pace of $534.1 million but behind its fourth weekend of $30.3 million, as well as Barbie’ s $33.8 million fourth. That overall gap is likely to continue to shrink on its overall numbers as it appears headed for a landing between $630-650 million. That would keep it out of the top 10 all time at home. Globally, the film passed $1.143 billion and its now 31st all time.

While details on rumored drama behind the scenes is getting a slow roll in the press, the release of It Ends With Us continued to rake it in with $24 million this weekend. A 52% drop puts the film at $97.8 million domestic, just missing becoming the 10th August release ever to crack $100 million in just 10 days. That puts the film just behind G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra , which had $98.5 million in its first 10 after a lesser $22.3 million second weekend. That has the Blake Lively-led film on a path north of $150 million. The film would need some smaller drops (less than 30%) in the next few weeks if it hopes to stretch to final grosses such as Crazy Rich Asians ($174 million) and The Help ($169 million). But even if it lands on the lower end of that spectrum, it’s still poised to become Sony’s biggest success story of 2024.

Twisters is quite the interesting tale to come out of the summer. The fourth-highest grossing film of the season domestically (and fifth of the year), which premiered on PVOD this weekend, is now up to $238 million after a $9.8 million fifth weekend (just a 35% fall), and nevertheless on the verge of being on the losing end theatrically. Just $95 million to date internationally has the $155 million-budgeted film at $333 million worldwide. As we said two weeks ago, there have only been four films since 2000 that have grossed $250 million domestically (which Twisters will hit) and not gross $200 million abroad: American Sniper ($197.5 million), 2009’s Star Trek ($127.9 million), How the Grinch Stole Christmas ($85.1 million), and The Blind Side ($53.2 million). J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek film is the best correlation, grossing $385 million on a $150 million budget (which was not a success when it left theaters). Twisters could still be headed north of $275 million domestic alone. There aren’t many movies that have to hang their head after a haul like that. Last year’s The Little Mermaid may be the only example with a budget nearly $100 million higher than Twisters .

The two big animated sequels of the summer are well into profit already. Despicable Me 4 cleared $6 million this weekend and now has a total of over $340 million domestic and $847 million worldwide. Just $9 million off the pace of The Secret Life of Pets and $7 million off of Despicable Me 2 , DM4 fell behind the former on its seventh weekend ($5.8 million) but ahead of the latter ($3.9 million). Both finished between $368-369 million, while  DM4 appears headed for at least $360 million. We’ll see if it can close that gap between now and Labor Day. Of course, the biggest film of the year, Disney/Pixar’s Inside Out 2 , is now close to $642.1 million after $3.2 million this weekend. It remains about $3-4 million ahead of Jurassic World’ s pace ( JW had just a $1.2 million 10th weekend) and should still get over $650 million and cement its place as the biggest film of 2024.

Speaking of animated films, one of the fascinating stories of the week is the latest re-release of Henry Selick’s Coraline . Fathom Events did a 15th anniversary release starting on Thursday, and the film has since grossed $11.3 million, $8.3 million of it over the weekend. Last year’s August stint — a four-day Monday/Tuesday showing on the 14th, 15th, 28th and 29th — grossed $7.1 million. Back in 2010, the film opened in February to $16.8 million and grossed over $75 million. It remains the highest-grossing of all the Laika productions, which include Paranorman , The Boxtrolls , Kubo and the Two Strings , and Missing Link . The studio’s latest, Wildwood , will open on April 11, 2025.

Less successful is M. Night Shyamalan’s Trap . It took another 50% dip this weekend down to $3.4 million for a total of $35.2 million. It will pass last year’s Knock at the Cabin but not reach the pandemic release of Old ($48.2 million) and looks to be a small loser in theaters with just $62 million worldwide so far. A much bigger loser is Borderlands . The Lionsgate release of the Eli Roth film (with Tim Miller reshoots) fell 73% (the biggest drop for a film this year in over 3,000 theaters, replacing Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire’ s 65.3% fall) to $2.3 million for a total of $13.5 million domestic and just $20 million worldwide on a reported $115 million budget and is up there with Furiosa , The Fall Guy , Horizon , and Fly Me to the Moon as the biggest bombs of 2024.

Getting into the top 10 this week was Stree 2 , a Bollywood horror-comedy that grossed $2.1 million. Dropping out of the top 10 this week was Tilman Singer’s Cuckoo . The Neon release dropped 71% (in 1,503 theaters) to $866,000 and now has a total of $5.3 million. Focus upped the screen count for Didi to 427 theaters, where it grossed $700,000 and now has a total of $2.6 million. IFC continues to try and get their films out to a wider audience. Not all of them are going to connect. Case in point: Skincare with Elizabeth Banks, which made $315,000 in 768 theaters for just a $411 per-theater average despite a an OK approval rating with critics.

On the Vine: Bill Skarsgård Resurrects The Crow

Lionsgate gets another shot this week with the reboot of The Crow starring Bill Skarsgard in the role made infamous by Brandon Lee and the on-set incident that took his life. Although, like Borderlands , the studio is not holding screenings for press, so enter at your own risk. Amazon/MGM is hoping to draw some interest to Zoe Kravitz’s directorial debut with the creepy Blink Twice , featuring Naomi Ackie and Channing Tatum. They were more confident about reviews and allowed postings this week; at the time of writing, it sits at 80% on the Tomatometer.

Full List of Box Office Results: August 16-18, 2024

Erik Childress can be heard each week evaluating box office on  Business First AM  with Angela Miles and his  Movie Madness Podcast .

[box office figures via  Box Office Mojo ]

Thumbnail image by ©20th Century Studios

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‘it ends with us’ continues to blossom as romantic drama crosses $200m global box office, ryan reynolds vs. blake lively at the box office: ‘deadpool & wolverine’ to slay again with $50m, ‘it ends with us’ to begin with $23m-$30m+ – preview.

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Husband and wife Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively are set to face off at the box office this weekend, despite the fact that their movies are aimed at dudes and women, respectively.

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‘It Ends With Us’ Trailer: First Look At Blake Lively-Justin Baldoni Romantic Drama

For Mrs. Ryan Reynolds (who made a cameo in Deadpool & Wolverine ), her last live-action feature that did respectable business was 2018’s A Simple Favor ($16M); even with a $23M start, It Ends With Us would rank as the Gossip Girl alum’s third-highest lead-star domestic opening behind Green Lantern ($53.1M — she co-starred with Reynolds in that one) and Ben Affleck’s The Town ($23.8M).

Presales indicate a $30M+ opening for It Ends With Us, fueled by the author’s fandom — she is a “BookTok” cultural phenomenon with 2 billion-plus views on her TikTok hashtag and more than 25 million books sold stateside. We already told you that first-day presales for It Ends With Us outstripped that of Sony’s 2022 sleeper summer romance title  Where the Crawdads Sing   by nearly four times; that movie debuted to $17.2M and doing a 5.2x multiple for $90.2M.

Some exhibitors’ projections on It Ends With Us are super high, in the $40M-$50M range, and that’s based off presales. The concern is that the movie, given how female-heavy it is, is front-loaded and therefore business would be confined to Thursday previews and Friday and crater after that. We’ll see.

It Ends With Us will be in better financial shape by leaps and bounds than Lionsgate ‘s feature adaptation of popular videogame Borderlands, which cost the studio $110M-$120M before a $30M+ P&A spend. Why so high for the Eli Roth-directed movie? Its mega all-star cast in Kevin Hart, Jack Black, Cate Blanchett, Jamie Lee Curtis, Ariana Greenblatt, Edgar Ramirez and Gina Gershon. Tim Miller stepped in for reshoots when Roth had a scheduling conflict.

Lionsgate aimed to be responsible in financing, with 60% of the production cost covered by presales and extra dough from LG’s slate-financing deal with Media Capital Technologies. The expected start for Borderlands isn’t that high in regards to its budget, in the $15M range give or take at 3,000 locations with some sharing of Imax screens with Deadpool & Wolverine . There’s also an offshore launch in 74 territories. Borderlands was greenlit by the Joe Drake Lionsgate administration.

Meanwhile, Deadpool & Wolverine is expected to lead its third weekend with $50M , -48%. By the way, Barbie ‘s third weekend was $53M. The MCU title directed, produced and co-written by Shawn Levy became the second movie this year in the U.S. and Canada to pass $400M, after Inside Out 2 , off a $12.2M Monday. The pic hits $407.6M in its 11th day at the box office, faster than both Barbie (14 days) and Inside Out 2 (13 days). The fastest movie to hit $400M is Marvel Studios’ Avengers: Endgame , which reached the milestone in five days in 2019.

Looking to add further to depth to the arthouse B.O. is Neon ‘s Tilman Singer horror movie Cuckoo , starring Hunter Schafer as a young adult who has been adopted by the strangest family, and forced to move with them to a resort in the German Alps. The new set of parents keep odd company with a scientist played by Dan Stevens who is doing experiments. We’ll stop with the logline there. Already 84% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, this $7M-budgeted production, which sold overseas to Focus, is already primed to do good business at a low level; its P&A is lower than the under $10M spend of Longlegs. The pic is estimated to do $3M in its opening at 1,500 screens. If it makes $5M in its entire domestic run, Neon will be in fine shape on the pic.

Cuckoo is dated here given the August market’s penchant for edgy movies, and Neon trailered Cuckoo on Longlegs, further amping its profile. The pic is trending the best with the adults 25-34 and LGBTQ+ demos.

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