In 2018, Gerwig also made history by becoming the fifth woman to be nominated for the best director Oscar (for 'Lady Bird' ). And in just one weekend it's already surpassed the domestic grosses her last two films, 'Little Women,' which earned $108.1 million and 'Lady Bird,' with $49 million. Gerwig co-wrote and directed 'Barbie' which is intended to be the first of many Mattel-inspired spinoffs.
“Barbie” also earned the title of the third biggest July debut ever, surpassing Christopher Nolan’s “The Dark Knight” and “The Dark Knight Rises' - not adjusted for inflation - and trailing only the live-action “The Lion King” and “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2.” The R-rated adaptation opened on Presidents Day weekend in 2017 for a five-day haul of $93 million. A close, but imperfect comparison is “Fifty Shades of Grey,” which was directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson, and made $85 million in its first three days.
