Actress Margot Robbie is poised for a huge payday thanks to the massive, ongoing success of the Barbie movie. Robbie, who stars in the movie and is a producer on it, could earn $50 million in combined salary and bonuses, according to a report from Variety.
Robbie is getting a massive payday, and director Greta Gerwig is lined up to receive a bonus as well, tied to the performance of the movie. The value of Gerwig's pay package for Barbie is unknown, however, but it is presumably a back-end compensation based on box office grosses.
If this sounds familiar, it's because Warner Bros. had another surprise hit on its hands years ago with the Joker movie starring Joaquin Phoenix. That movie also earned more than $1 billion, and director Todd Phillips is reported to have earned a $100 million bonus, with Phoenix also enjoying a "generous" pay package.
Barbie has earned more than $525 million in the US and over $1 billion globally. Barbie is the 25th highest-grossing movie in history, ahead of movies like Captain America: Civil War, Aquaman, The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King, Spider-Man: Far From Home, and Captain Marvel.
It is the second highest-grossing movie ever from Warner Bros., trailing only Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows -- Part 2 ($1.342 billion). What's more, Barbie is the highest-grossing movie ever from a female director in the US, surpassing Frozen II (co-directed by Jennifer Lee).
Barbie reaching $1 billion at the box office is something that Robbie believed was possible from the start. She told WB executives in a pitch meeting that Barbie the movie could earn $1 billion. And now it has.
Given the huge success of Barbie, a sequel seems likely, but it's not confirmed as of yet (despite media reports). Barbie company Mattel is, however, moving forward with movies based on some of its other famous toy properties, including Hot Wheels.