It’s been out for more than three weeks, and yet Greta Gerwig’s Barbie is still painting the movie industry pink after smashing several fresh box office records. The new movie, starring Margot Robbie as the iconic doll, has become the highest-grossing movie at the US box office by a female director, solo or otherwise - much to the chagrin of Ben Shapiro. The previous record was held by Jennifer Lee, the director of Frozen 2, after the Disney film banked $477.4m at US box offices. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter But this Barbie just keeps breaking records. The movie hit $492.6m on Thursday 10 August, and it now stands at $526.3m in the US. Barbie also became the highest-grossing live-action movie by a female director after the fourth weekend in cinemas. The pink sensation overtook Captain Marvel, which earned $1.13bn globally in 2019 and was co-directed by Anna Boden. Gerwig's movie has now taken $1.18bn to date. The records keep tumbling despite the fact that Robbie was not even first choice for the role, which she revealed last week. The actor, who was also a producer on the movie, recently told Vogue that both her and director Greta Gerwig initially wanted Gal Gadot for the role but scheduling conflicts got in the way. “Gal Gadot is Barbie energy. Gal Gadot is so impossibly beautiful, but you don’t hate her for being that beautiful because she’s so genuinely sincere, and she’s so enthusiastically kind, that it’s almost dorky. It’s like right before being a dork,” she said. Barbie was also banned in Kuwait recently, and now faces calls for a ban in Lebanon amid complaints in the Arab nations about the film’s social values. There are currently no plans in the works for a sequel. “At this moment it’s all I’ve got. I feel like that at the end of every movie, like I’ll never have another idea and everything I’ve ever wanted to do, I did," Gerwig said in a recent interview. “I wouldn't want to squash anybody else’s dream, but for me, at this moment, I’m at totally zero." Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

Netflix is yet to renew 'Too Hot to Handle' for a sixth season

The dancers said that Lizzo's response was contradicting everything she and her brand stood for

Kim Kardashian told Angie Martinez on her 'IRL' podcast that North can only access TikTok through her mother's phone

'It must really be hard being a celebrity,' one social media user said

Kim Kardashian gave Tristan Thompson and his buddies a lift to the concert; they exited a sprinter van and entered the arena through the VIP door

Amber Heard is set to appear at the 69th Taormina Film Festival for the world premiere of 'In The Fire'

Due to his fantastic voice, 'AGT' viewers urge Gabriel C Brown to try out solo and drop the puppet act

The topic takes several awkward and uncomfortable turns as the ladies dish out their secrets about their workplace

Tony Hadley has recalled getting cookies thrown at him on stage and his early raving days.

The upcoming NYC marathon won’t be the first time Amy Robach and TJ Holmes will be running side by side

'The View' host Whoopi Goldberg recently made controversial statement about 'American Idol'