Greta Gerwig's 'Barbie' crosses $1B: Top-grossing films directed by women
Barbie's "Kenergy" proved to be more powerful than Oppenheimer's' atomic explosion at the box office—the former has surpassed the $1B mark worldwide. With this, Barbie became the highest-grossing toy-centered movie in history. The film also unlocked an achievement for its director Greta Gerwig—she became the first solo female director to cross the billion-dollar mark. Her success prompts us to explore other top-grossing women-directed films.
'Frozen' series (2013 and 2019)
Helmed by Jennifer Lee and Chris Buck, the beloved animated Walt Disney film Frozen first charmed audiences in 2013, followed by a successful sequel in 2019. They were so loved that the movies became the highest-grossing films in the animated section and by a female director. Notably, the first installment raked in $1.284B at the worldwide box office, while the second installment earned $1.45B.
'Captain Marvel' (2019) and 'Wonder Woman' (2017)
Next up on this list are movies that come from the world of superheroes! The first one is 2019's Captain Marvel—helmed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck—which became a huge success commercially and earned $1.131B at the box office. Another female-helmed film, Wonder Woman—directed by Patty Jenkins—was also immensely praised, and it grossed over $822M worldwide, making it the 10th highest-grossing film of 2017.
'The Matrix Reloaded' (2003) and 'Brave' (2012)
Who can forget the cyberpunk thriller drama franchise The Matrix, which left everyone in awe of its profound subject matter? Written and directed by Lilly and Lana Wachowski, the third installment became one of the highest-grossing female-directed films ($741.8M). In addition to the Wachowskis, director Brenda Chapman also finds her name on this list—as the 2012 film Brave she co-directed earned an astounding $540M.
'Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel' (2009) and 'Twilight' (2008)
The last mentions in this list are of female directors Betty Thomas and Catherine Hardwicke. Thomas directed Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel, the second installment in the live-action film series, which went on to earn an impressive $443.1M. Meanwhile, the Hardwicke-helmed first installment of the five-part Twilight series, Twilight (2008), proved to be a commercial success, despite negative reviews and mocking from critics.
