Australian actress Margot Robbie is set to achieve her most substantial payday yet for her involvement in bringing the iconic Barbie character to the silver screen.
Having played a dual role as the star and producer of the blockbuster directed by Greta Gerwig, Robbie, 32, reportedly secured an initial payment of $19 million for her portrayal of the Mattel doll.
However, according to reports from Variety, this figure is poised to soar to an impressive $77 million, a testament to the film’s remarkable box office success and subsequent bonuses.
Barbie, produced with a budget of approximately $220 million, reached the coveted milestone of $1 billion at the global box office in a mere two weeks following its theatrical release earlier this month. This accomplishment marks Greta Gerwig as the first female director to attain such financial success. Gerwig, who co-wrote the screenplay with her partner Noah Baumbach, shared in the triumph.
Hailing from Queensland’s Gold Coast, Margot Robbie played a pivotal role in bringing the Barbie project to fruition. Through her production company, LuckyChap Entertainment, she acquired the rights from Mattel in 2018, and subsequently presented the concept to Warner Bros., successfully persuading Greta Gerwig to undertake the writing and directing duties.
Discussing her commitment to the endeavour, Robbie reflected on her initial pitch to studio executives, describing it as a strategic oversell aimed at illustrating how significant successes are often born from bold ideas paired with visionary directors. In her pitch, Robbie likened the project to the successes of past blockbusters such as Spielberg’s dinosaurs, thereby presenting Barbie as a potential billion-dollar endeavour.
Robbie, who co-founded her production company with husband Tom Ackerley in 2014, initially gained international recognition through her role in Martin Scorsese’s 2013 hit “The Wolf of Wall Street.” Subsequently, she has achieved two Academy Award nominations and has starred in a series of popular films including “Suicide Squad,” “Bombshell,” “I, Tonya,” “Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood,” and “Focus.”
With the astounding success of Barbie, this film now stands as Robbie’s highest-grossing venture to date.