Barbie star Margot Robbie reportedly earned way more than was previously reported for her work on the hit film.
To say Barbie is a hit would be an understatement. Greta Gerwig's take on the iconic toy line has lit the moviegoing world ablaze, becoming the biggest live-action film of the year (only trailing The Super Mario Bros. Movie).
The movie has smashed several records and is Warner Bros.' most successful movie domestically of all time, having earned $1.28 billion at the worldwide box office. And this all comes following some heavy lifting from Barbie's star, something she surely was going to be compensated for.
Robbie famously pitched the film, telling studios "It'd make a billion dollars" (via Business Insider), which - at the time - may have felt farfetched.
Margot Robbie's Barbie-Sized Payday
According to a new report, Barbie actress Margot Robbie earned much more than the reported $50 million figure on the Greta Gerwig blockbuster hit.
While speaking on his Ringer podcast, The Town, Puck's Matthew Belloni (along with guest Content Partners president John Mass) remarked that from what he has heard, that $50 million number "is ridiculously low" when compared to what Robbie actually earned:
Mass: “Margot Robbie, $50 million, right?”
Belloni: “By the way, that’s low. That is ridiculously low. I heard it’s way higher. There was a Variety report that she’s going to get $50 million for Barbie. It’s actually more than that.”
The actress' salary came up as the two discussed creators getting less and less equity in their big-screen projects that "generate billions of dollars," instead getting paid more upfront rather than getting a slice of box office revenue.
According to Belloni, Barbie is one of the few recent examples where names like Robbie "get to share in that:"
Belloni: "Do you shake your head and think, ‘Man, you’re giving up your future.’ Or, do you understand that, for the vast majority of people, getting that up front is probably going to be more than they’ll ever get?”
Mass: “I think it is the latter, as much as I hate to say it, because I do love these stories of these creators who have created these incredible franchises that generate billions of dollars and they get to share in that. But those are so few and far between that that happens.”
Belloni: “Happening right now on 'Barbie.' Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie.”
Robbie reportedly earned a lean $12.5 million as a base salary for the Greta Gerwig comedy and then seemingly earned points on how much the movie made.
For comparison, this $12.5 million is still the most the actress has earned as a base salary for a film. Her next biggest payday came from DC's Birds of Prey, where she earned somewhere between $9-10 million.
Some of her other base salaries include $350 thousand (The Wolf of Wall Street) $5 million (Amsterdam and Babylon), and $8 million (The Suicide Squad).
Just How Much Did Margot Robbie Make on Barbie?
It currently remains unknown exactly how much Margot Robbie made on the Barbie film, and - given the actress seemingly has points on the project - that number is probably fluctuating as the movie rounds out its box office run.
Barbie is one of those films that has "generate[d] billions of dollars." Seeing as both Robbie and director Greta Gerwig look to have equity in the film, the paydays are going to be significant.
For perspective, another box office hit that had its lead actor earning a piece of every ticket bought was 2022's Top Gun: Maverick.
The aeronautical epic netted star Tom Cruise approximately $100 million after he was reportedly only paired $13 million of that upfront (according to Variety).
While what Robbie ultimately makes from Barbie comes down to just how much she is making off every ticket sale, she could approach that $100 million mark seeing as both Barbie and Top Gun saw similar box office success.
Barbie is playing now in theaters worldwide.
