Barbie's success at the box office can be credited partly to its massive marketing budget, which surpassed $150 million, making it one of the biggest in Hollywood history. The film's marketing investment paid off, as Barbie became one of the highest-grossing movies of 2023, potentially surpassing The Super Mario Bros. Movie. However, other films like Mortal Engines and The Mummy faced significant financial losses despite large marketing budgets, highlighting the risks of excessive promotional spending.

2023's biggest box office phenomenon, Barbie, was made possible thanks to the film's insane marketing budget which other Hollywood productions over the years have been shown to rival. While Barbie was always expected to perform well even before the movie's release, not many predicted that it would become one of the highest-grossing movies of 2023. At the time of writing, the film is well on its way to surpassing The Super Mario Bros. Movie as the best-performing Hollywood...