Mattel will receive nearly $125 million in revenue from the movie “Barbie”

Mattel Inc. expects about $125 million in revenue related to Barbiethe hit movie based on the company’s popular doll.

The company receives a portion of both the revenue and profits from the film, the company’s chief financial officer said Thursday. Anthony DiSilvestroat an investor conference hosted by Goldman Sachs Group Inc.

The El Segundo, California-based toymaker licensed its Barbie brand to Warner Bros. Discovery Inc., which made the film, which became the highest-grossing film of 2023 globally, as it has so far been they have sold about $1.4 billion in tickets.

mattel expects its profit margin on $125 million to be around 60%, he said. DiSilvestro, quoted by the Bloomberg agency. The benefit from Barbie’s business will be offset by a drop in Fisher-Price, her preschool toy division.

The movie has yet to spark a boom in toy sales for the company. mattel reported a 12% drop in revenue in the second quarter, including a 6% contraction for line Barbie. Management noted at the time that it expected a “important growth” for the business in the second half of the year.

“Barbie” overcomes attempted censorship

The movie “Barbie” finally hit theaters Thursday Lebanona week late and after avoiding a controversial censorship attempt by a minister who saw content “promoters of homosexuality” in this blockbuster.

In a central Beiruti cinema, dozens of young people, many of them dressed in pink or wearing clothes with the logo of the famous doll from mattelhave been waiting for a long time before the session begins, despite the fact that all the tickets were sold in advance.

“It’s a childhood dream, I think for everyone, it’s very exciting to wait for ‘Barbie’ a week later. We want to know what this is that everyone’s been talking about”, Yasmina, a 21-year-old spectator, explained to EFE.

“I’m not a person who wears pink, but today I dressed in pink (…) I wore it to feel young again”, she adds visibly animated with her friend, also dressed in a fuchsia dress.

About a month ago, the Lebanese minister of Culture, Mohamed Murtadaordered to prohibit the projection of the film considering that “promotes homosexuality”, and that it goes against the “moral values” and prevalent relatives in Lebanon.

killed He then issued a circular in which he asked the General Security to take “all necessary measures” to prevent the film directed by Greta Gerwig was screened in the country, where its premiere was initially scheduled for August 31.

However, the Lebanese censorship committee disagreed with the minister’s opinion and “Barbie” finally arrived yesterday at the country’s cinemas, which were in charge of announcing it on their respective billboards without the authorities coming out to clarify the controversy.

Yasmina believes that the minister was trying to avoid potential repercussions.”negative” in it Lebanonbut argues that “at the same time all Lebanese must see reality” and many will also be exposed to “other cultures” when they travel.

Although the Lebanon is considered one of the least conservative countries and with the greatest freedom of expression in the region, the controversy over the film starring margot robbie and ryan gosling It came at a difficult time for the LGTBI community.

Just two weeks ago, a group of suspected Christian extremists attacked a Beiruti bar frequented by members of the community, chanting against homosexuality and even beating some of those present.

Hostile rhetoric against them has increased in the last month, after the leader of the Shiite group Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, charged in more than one public speech against homosexual relationships, going so far as to say that those who participate in them must be “killed”.