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Heading into the summer, many memes and jokes became part of the Barbenheimer phenomenon, as Greta Gerwig’sBarbieand Christopher Nolan’sOppenheimerwent head to head at the box office.
Based on Christopher Nolan’s pedigree, and the presence of superstars like Cillian Murphy, Robert Downey Jr., and Matt Damon in the movie on J. Robert Oppenheimer – who was the “most important person” who ever lived, as per the movie’s filmmaker – many expected the documentary feature to blow Margot Robbie ledBarbieout of the water.
Having grossed over $900 million globally,Oppenheimerhas performed as many predicted. Rather it’s the historic performance ofBarbiethat has left doubters of Gerwig’s movie wowed.
Read more:Top 3 Highest Grossing Movies Of 2023 Will Surprise Fans- Marvel Desperately Needs Robert Downey Jr’s Iron Man Return To Shake Things Up At Box Office?
What Response Greta Gerwig Has for Critics of Her Work
Greta Gerwig’sdepiction of live-actionBarbieand her beautiful but sheltered world, through which she took aim at patriarchal norms, worked wonders at the box office, helping the comedy gross $1.4 billion worldwide.
The 40-year-old’s groundbreaking work madeBarbiethe first solo-directed live-action film by a woman to join the elusive billion-dollar club. Such a performance has the potential to open more doors for female-centric narratives and women-led movies.
It’s not very often that studios back such projects, and the rare times they do, the response at the box office is usually pale. Gerwig might enjoy the change of fortunes from hereon, but she has also experienced her fair share of unsolicited criticism.
However, theLittle Womendirector knows how to deal with such moments. While answering a question about testing moments, creatively or professionally forThe Hollywood Reporter‘sDirectors Roundtable, she said:
“All of my [tough moments] are petty. Like people telling me, without me asking, that they didn’t like my movie. ‘It wasn’t for me.’ Go f*ck yourselves!”
That’s one way to deal with it. Another is to deliver a billion-dollar blockbuster. Gerwig can now boast of having done both!
Read more:“Steven Spielberg had me smell a camera!”: Jurassic Park Director Saved Greta Gerwig’s 6 Oscars Nominated Film By Forbidding Her From Committing a Giant Mistake
Why Greta Gerwig Thought Barbie Would End Her Career
Having already helmed much acclaimedLady BirdandLittle Womenfrom the director’s chair, Gerwig had already established herself as a filmmaker who commanded a certain respect and didn’t need unwanted suggestions.
Still, such was the scale ofMargot Robbie’sBarbie, which had a massive budget of $145 million that the relatively young director at times experienced terrifying emotions before production started. Speaking on Dua Lipa’s podcast At Your Service [as perEW], she said:
“It was terrifying. I think that was a big part of it. I think there’s something about starting from that place where it’s like, ‘Well, anything is possible!’ It felt like vertigo starting to write it. Like, where do you even begin? What would be the story?”
But at the same time, the nervousness pushed her to explore the best stuff. She continued [viaEW]:
“That feeling that I had was knowing that it would be really interesting terror. Usually that’s where the best stuff is. When you’re like, ‘I am terrified of that.’ Anything where you’re like, ‘This could be a career-ender,’ then you’re like, ‘Ok, I probably should do it’.”
ConsideringBarbie’sperformance, it’s best to assume the terrifying thoughts worked pretty well for Gerwig.
Read more:Greta Gerwig Claims the Middle Ground in Zack Snyder’s Justice League Controversy, Says “I don’t have a dog in this fight” Despite Using It as a Joke
Source:The Hollywood Reporter,EW
Vishal Singh
Articles Published :513
Vishal Singh is a Content Writer at FandomWire. Having spent more than half a decade in the digital media space, Vishal specializes in crafting engaging entertainment- and sports-focused stories. He graduated from university with an honors degree in English Literature.
