Barbie was already well its way to becoming the highest-grossing film of the year at the domestic box office, but its impressive haul is now set to get even bigger.
Warner Bros. has announced that Greta Gerwig’s satirical comedy will be coming to IMAX screens for one week, starting from September 22. The new release will also feature new, exclusive post-credit footage, selected by Gerwig herself.
The IMAX screening plans, which include rollouts in North America and select international territories, were announced by Warner Bros. executives Jeff Goldstein, president of domestic distribution, and Andrew Cripps, president of international distribution, on Wednesday (August 23). The statement also included words from Gerwig.
“We made Barbie for the big screen, so it’s a thrill to be able to bring it to IMAX, the biggest screen of all,” the director said. “As a special thanks to Barbie fans, we’re excited to share a little bit more of our cast and crew’s incredible work by adding special new footage we hope audiences will enjoy.”
Goldstein and Cripps added in a joint statement: “If there was one thing missing in this winning Barbie strategy, it was being able to put Greta’s singular vision on premium IMAX screens over the uber-competitive summer corridor. That Barbie continues to draw packed audiences around the world heading into its sixth weekend in release speaks to the quality of the film and the excitement audiences have for the story. We are so pleased to give them a chance to see Barbie, whether for the first or fifth time, in such an experiential format as IMAX.”
In addition to becoming the highest-grossing film in the US this year, Barbie also has a chance to become the top performing movie of 2023 worldwide, after hitting $1.2billion globally. It currently sits behind The Super Mario Bros. Movie, which amassed $1.35billion.
Since it was released in July, the film has also become the highest-ever-grossing live-action movie directed by a woman.
“For all of us in the exhibition community, it’s been exciting to watch an original film like Barbie become an unparalleled critical and commercial success this summer,” Richard Gelfond, CEO of IMAX Corporation, said in a statement. “We’re thrilled to be partnering with Greta and her filmmaking team and our friends at Warner Bros. to deliver this special edition of Barbie with never-before-seen footage exclusively to IMAX audiences around the world.”
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