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The Barbie movie has made over 1 billion dollars around the globe just 17 days after it hit the big screen, or, as studio Warner Brothers put it, it's reached a 'Barbillion'.

It means that director Greta Gerwig has broken a record, as she becomes the first ever woman to reach the milestone as a solo director.

Warner Brothers said in a statement on Sunday that the hit film of the summer made $1.03bn (£808m) in ticket sales, and the figure was confirmed by a media analytics company called Comscore.

Margot Robbie, who not only stars as Barbie but also produced the record-breaking movie, said she was hopeful they'd reach this goal in the early stages of production.

"I think I told them that it'd make a billion dollars, which maybe I was overselling, but we had a movie to make, okay?!" she told magazine Collider.

Given only 53 films have ever made over a billion dollars, and only five other films have achieved it since the global Covid-19 pandemic, Warner Brothers are thrilled with the achievement.

Jeff Goldstein, president of domestic distribution in the US, said: "No-one but Greta Gerwig could have brought this cross-generational icon and her world to life in such a funny, emotional and entertaining story... literally turning the entire world pink."

And the Barbillion is not just good news for the people making the film - UK cinema chain Vue recently said Barbie's release contributed to it seeing its busiest weekend in four years.

Mattel, the toy company that created the iconic Barbie doll, is now hoping to create a cinematic universe with some of their other popular toys, such as Barney, Hot Wheels and Polly Pocket.