How Margot Robbie starred in a string of flops only to become the queen of Hollywood with a billion-dollar box office hit
Margot Robbie is proud of Barbie's success this awards season, after winning the Golden Globe for cinematic and box office achievements last Sunday night.
The Greta Gerwig-directed comedy grossed an incredible $1.4 billion at the box office worldwide, making it the highest-grossing film in Warner Bros. history.
Her winning streak also continued with the success of Saltburn (2023), also produced by Margot's production company LuckyChap Entertainment.
The film has gone viral online for its inclusion of several disturbing scenes, as well as Sophie Ellis-Bextor's hit Murder On The Dancefloor returning to the international charts for the first time in 2023.
The film was nominated for several awards at the Golden Globes – including Best Actor for Barry Keough, who plays the deranged Oliver Quick in the film – and will no doubt pick up several BAFTAs at the annual British ceremony next month.
How Margot Robbie, 33, almost ruined her career by starring in a series of flops, only to become the queen of Hollywood with a billion-dollar box office success and the movie EVERYONE is talking about. (Pictured: Margot as Barbie)
Barbie and Saltburn come as a saving grace for Margot, 33, who was once known as a Hollywood flop magnet after starring in a string of major blockbusters.
Despite breaking into Hollywood with the hugely successful 2013 film Wolf of Wall Street, Margot's luck quickly ran out thanks to the disappointing outcome of her 2016 film The Legend of Tarzan.
The film, the first live-action Tarzan film since 1998, grossed $356.7 million worldwide.
The film had a production budget of $180 million, meaning it would have had to make at least $400 million to be profitable when the marketing budget was taken into account.
Margot is also enjoying the success of Saltburn (2023), produced by her production company LuckyChap Entertainment. (Pictured at the Saltburn premiere in Los Angeles)
The film has gone viral online for its inclusion of several disturbing scenes, as well as Sophie Ellis-Bextor's hit Murder On The Dancefloor being revived on the international charts for the first time in 2023.
The legend of Tarzan is widely remembered as a costly failure, involving a approval rating of just 35% with an average rating of 5.1/10 on Rotten Tomatoes.
Margot's 2020 film Birds Of Prey, meanwhile, failed to impress after falling below projections at the box office.
The DC Comics film was also produced by Margot's production company LuckyChap entertainment and was a sequel to 2016's Suicide Squad, focusing on the character of Harley Quinn.
Despite breaking into Hollywood with the hugely successful 2013 film Wolf of Wall Street, Margot's luck quickly ran out thanks to the disappointing outcome of her 2016 film The Legend of Tarzan. (Pictured in The Legend of Tarzan)
With a production budget of $84.5 million, Birds of Prey was expected to gross around $50 million, but instead only grossed $33.3 million in US theaters.
It was the same story overseas, where Birds of Prey grossed an estimated $48 million from 78 international markets, bringing its total weekend gross to around $81 million.
Many have speculated that the coronavirus pandemic played a role in the disappointing outcome, while others suggest The film's R rating may have excluded young fans of the popular character Harley Quinn.
Margot's misfortune continued in 2022 when she starred in two box office flops: Amsterdam and Babylon.
Margot's setback continued in 2022 when she starred in box office flop Amsterdam. (Pictured in Amsterdam)
Amsterdam, directed by David O. Russell, followed the story of a little-known attempted coup against the US government.
The dark comedy only grossed $32 million despite costing $80 million, with estimated losses for the studio exceeding $100 million.
The film was described by critics as overly ambitious and tonally inconsistent, scoring an approval rating of only 32% on the website. with an average score of 5/10 on Rotten Tomatoes.
Then came Babylon, one of Margot's most infamous box office bombs.
Despite its star-studded cast, including Brad Pitt, the Damien Chazelle-directed film failed to meet its $80 million budget, grossing just $63 million.
Then came Babylon, one of Margot's most infamous box office bombs. Despite its star-studded cast, including Brad Pitt, the Damien Chazelle-directed film failed to meet its $80 million budget, grossing just $63 million. (Pictured in Babylon)
Babylon had initially generated Oscar buzz, but its prospects were destroyed thanks to its terrible commercial performance.
But Margot has since made up for her previous disasters, and then some, thanks to the incredible success of Barbie.
The film was rated at $145 million, amassed an eye-popping $1.4 billion at the worldwide box office and scored an 88% approval rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes.
Saltburn was nominated for several awards at the Golden Globes – including Best Actor for Barry Keough (pictured with Margot), who plays the deranged Oliver Quick in the film – and will no doubt pick up several BAFTAs at the annual British ceremony next month.
Margot, the producer and title star of the popular film, told us Variety she was shocked by the cultural impact the films had online during their opening weekend.
The film's success earned Robbie $50 million, making her one of the richest women in Hollywood for her role as star and producer.
Robbie took home a whopping salary and box office bonus, having also produced the film through LuckyChap Entertainment.
LuckyChap – which Robbie founded in 2014 with husband Tom Ackerley and friends Josey McNamara and Sophia Kerr – also produced Promising Young Woman, Birds of Prey and the series Maid.
Saltburn, meanwhile, grossed $20.6 million worldwide, although the film's budget has not been made public.
However, the film has received a solid critical reception, scoring a 71% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and becoming a major hit on Amazon Prime Video.