Margot Robbie is super involved as a producer – she even wants to be in the loop on every email about her movies

While presenting their unconventional, feminist take on Barbie to Warner Bros. and Mattel, Margot Robbie and writer-director Greta Gerwig boldly foresaw a billion-dollar success at the box office – a prediction that proved accurate and then some. However, what has truly caught Robbie off guard is the unexpected journey of the film to cultural prominence and its remarkable $1.4 billion global earnings. Reflecting on the film's awards season momentum, Robbie admits, "We never anticipated it making it to the Oscars."

Hands-On Production

The triumph of Barbie, both critically and commercially, marks the fruition of six years of dedicated effort by LuckyChap. The production company secured the rights to the original material and brought on Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach to craft the script. 

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At LuckyChap, Margot Robbie is more than just a producer in title. She actively participates, requesting to be cc'd on every email, overseeing shooting schedules and budgets, and, in the instance of "Barbie," meticulously tracking the gallons of pink paint required to adorn the Barbieland sets.

Diverse Ventures

Beyond Barbie, the highest-grossing film directed by a woman in history, Margot Robbie had a bustling year with LuckyChap managing two other exciting projects. One is Oscar winner Emerald Fennell’s Saltburn, a provocatively charged exploration of the British class system reminiscent of a more twisted Talented Mr. Ripley. The other is 'My Old Ass,' a coming-of-age comedy from filmmaker Megan Park, set to premiere at Sundance."

Before Barbie, LuckyChap's top three films – I, Tonya in 2017, and Birds of Prey and Promising Young Woman in 2020 – enjoyed considerable success, amassing a combined worldwide gross of $275 million and securing two Oscars from six nominations. 

However, "Barbie" surpassed them all, achieving five times that revenue. The film recently garnered nine Golden Globe nominations and a record-breaking 18 Critics Choice nods, in addition to special accolades at the Gotham Awards and recognition on the National Board of Review and AFI lists for the year's finest films.

Looking past the shattered records and the praise, Robbie, Ackerley, and McNamara view 2023 as a glowing manifestation of all they aspired to accomplish since founding the company in their London flat in 2014. Robbie and Ackerley, a married couple, first crossed paths on the set of "Suite Française," an independent feature where Ackerley and McNamara (both Brits) served as assistant directors.

 At that time, Robbie was an Australian soap star with aspirations for the big screen. The trio connected over their shared passion for narrating stories centered around women.

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