There’s no denying that Barbie was the hit movie of the summer, and with its recent release in IMAX, it seems like it’s going to be the biggest hit of 2023. Despite what some naysayers said before the release, Barbie is definitely gearing up for an impressive award-season campaign too. The Oscar buzz has already started, specifically when it comes to Ryan Gosling and the Best Supporting Actor race. However, the cast and crew behind Greta Gerwig's movie might want to focus on The Golden Globes first since they’re basically a shoo-in for the brand-new category that was just announced.
Variety broke the news this morning, announcing the addition of the Cinematic and Box Office Achievement Award. While other categories’s eligibility requirements are a bit more abstract, that’s not the case for the new award. In order to be eligible films must, per the publication:
- "Gross at least $150 million during release"
- "$100 million of which must come from the domestic box office"
- "Deliver creative excellence"
- Released between November 22, 2022 and December 31, 2023
The category will allow for eight nominees, which means Barbie won’t be alone. In fact, streaming movies can also be nominated if they “obtain commensurate digital streaming viewership recognized by trusted industry sources.” Though, that seems a bit more abstract than most streaming viewership is.
But back to Barbie — there’s absolutely no way Barbie doesn’t get nominated. Not only does it currently boast over $630 million at the domestic box office, but the movie also delivers on the creative excellence portion of the movie. From the epic shot of Margot Robbie’s Barbie's feet to the hilarious “I’m Just Ken” musical number, there’s no denying that Greta Gerwig had a vision for Barbie and delivered it tenfold.
Based on the criteria alone, there’s no way Barbie doesn’t win the category. However, it will be up against some stiff competition. According to Box Office Mojo, there are 15 other films that have been released since the start of the year that have reached the box office threshold including Oppenheimer, The Super Mario Bros. Movie, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and more.
The competition is only going to get more crowded too as there are still a handful of 2023 movie releases that might cross the box office threshold. For example, Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour movie is expected to make between $96 million and $145 million opening weekend. However, does a concert film count as “delivering creative excellence?” We’ll have to wait and see what the Hollywood Foreign Press Association thinks.
Regardless of what other movies make it into the category, I just don’t see how Barbie doesn’t take home the historic Golden Globe trophy. It’ll definitely be an interesting and hopefully pink award season — assuming SAG-AGTRA gets a fair deal and the strike comes to an end before the season begins next year.
Barbie is currently available to purchase on a variety of streaming platforms if you want to watch from the comfort of your home. But I’d suggest heading out to a theater to see this movie — especially if it's playing in IMAX near you.
