‘Barbie’ is less than $100 million away from a billion-dollar box office heading into third weekend

“Barbie” is less than $100 million away from topping $1 billion at the global box office.

Heading into the weekend, the bubblegum pink flick from Warner Bros. Discovery and Mattel has tallied $916.1 million. It’s expected to hit the coveted billion-dollar benchmark before Monday.

“Joining the billion-dollar box office club is a watershed moment for ‘Barbie’ and Greta Gerwig as the latter will become the first solo female director to achieve that feat,” said Shawn Robbins, chief analyst at BoxOffice.com.

Anna Boden, co-director of Disney’s “Captain Marvel,” was the first female director to be attached to a billion-dollar film. “Captain Marvel” reached just shy of $1.13 billion during its theatrical run in 2019, according to data from Comscore.

When “Barbie” tops this mark, it will become the first billion-dollar film to do so for the newly minted Warner Bros. Discovery, which merged in 2022.

“Ultimately, ‘Barbie’ has become a global phenomenon in ways the industry perhaps didn’t see coming as it reignites cultural discussions about femininity,” Robbins said. “It’s launched an iconic brand onto the big screen in a way that fans feel is organic and embraces the right amount of nostalgia to tell a relatable and entertaining story in the modern world.”

The success of “Barbie” comes at a time when studios have struggled to connect with moviegoing audiences. A series of adult-aimed blockbusters have underperformed in recent months, leading many in the industry to question if consumer tastes have shifted away from Hollywood.

“Barbie” shows that moviegoers are still interested in leaving their couches for quality films and unique communal experiences. Movie theaters big and small announced record ticket sales in the month of July as pink-clad audiences packed theaters.

The movie’s financial and cultural success “was the result of a most unusual and unpredictable set of circumstances that combined a great release date,…