The Barbie movie has been out for mere days but it is already making history. The Greta Gerwig directed film scored a US$377m (£293m, A$560m) opening weekend around the world, making it the biggest debut ever for a film directed by a woman. Now that is the Kenergy we love to see. At the North American box office – combining the US and Canada – Barbie claimed top spot with $155m in ticket sales from 4,243 locations, surpassing The Super Mario Bros Movie and every Marvel film released this year to become the biggest opening of the year. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Internationally, Barbie earned $182m from 69 territories and women made up 65 per cent of the audience, according to PostTrak, with 40 per cent of ticket buyers under the age of 25. “It was a truly historic weekend and continues the positive box office momentum of 2023,” said Michael O’Leary, president and CEO of the National Association of Theatre Owners. “People recognised that something special was happening and they wanted to be a part of it.” It comes after director Gerwig revealed the scene in Barbie that she refused to cut, despite pressure from the studio. The Academy Award-nominated director said that it was suggested she remove a scene where Barbie meets an elderly woman on a bench and tells her she’s beautiful. “I love that scene so much,” Gerwig told Rolling Stone. “And the older woman on the bench is the costume designer Ann Roth. She’s a legend. It’s a cul-de-sac of a moment, in a way - it doesn’t lead anywhere." "And in early cuts, looking at the movie, it was suggested, ‘Well, you could cut it. And actually, the story would move on just the same.’ And I said, ‘If I cut the scene, I don’t know what this movie is about.'” Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

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The FBI have jumped on the hype around Taylor Swift’s release of Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) to try and get people to send them tips on federal crimes. On Monday (July 10), the FBI Washington Field tweeted their own version of the Speak Now track list, which included ‘songs’ such as 'Terrorism (FBI’s Version)', 'Public Corruption (FBI’s Version),' and 'Weapons of Mass Destruction (FBI’s Version).' In the caption, they played on songs by Swift such as 'Better than Revenge' and 'Superman', writing: “Justice is better than revenge. You may not be Superman, but you can help the #FBI protect the country.” “If you have information about a federal crime, speak now. Call 1-800-225-5324 or visit http://tips.fbi.gov to submit a tip,” the post reads. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter For a fandom that is known for its commitment to uncovering easter eggs and secrets left for them by Swift, you can see why the FBI chose to use Swift’s music in an attempt to encourage people to get in touch. Twitter couldn’t believe that the FBI had referenced Taylor Swift, and many shared the tweet in disbelief and found it hilarious: Republican Congressman Mike Johnson responded to the tweet quoting lyrics from Swift’s ‘Should’ve Said No’, mocking the FBI’s decision to tweet. Johnson has previously accused the FBI of abusing its power. This isn’t the first time government officials and politicians have quoted Swift’s work. During a Judiciary Committee hearing on consolidation in the ticketing industry after the disaster surrounding Ticketmaster and the sale of Swift’s Eras Tour, many senators used Swift’s lyrics to make their points. Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal had quoted the song 'Anti-Hero' during the hearing telling Live Nation that the company should look in the mirror and say: “I’m the problem, it’s me.” Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

'Barbie' co-writer Noah Baumbach initially thought the movie was a "terrible idea" and tried to dissuade his partner Greta Gerwig from working on the project.

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