evidence: From the Magazine Digital Covers ‘Barbie’ Director Greta Gerwig Addresses Right-Wing Backlash and Reveals How She Knew Ryan Gosling was Her Perfect Ken The director wants "everybody to be part of the party" By Angel Saunders Angel Saunders Angel Saunders has been a writer at PEOPLE since 2023. She’s previously worked at iHeartMedia, IndieWire, and REVOLT. People Editorial Guidelines Updated on July 26, 2023 02:45PM EDT Close Ryan Gosling, Margot Robbie, and 'Barbie' director Greta Gerwig. Photo: Jaap Buitendijk Barbie has proven to be a box office hit. The Mattel-themed movie became the biggest debut ever for a film directed by a woman after earning a reported $162 million during its opening weekend, per Variety. But that doesn’t mean filmmaker Greta Gerwig has had it easy since the blockbuster’s July 21 release. "I wanted to make something anarchic and wild and funny and cathartic, and the idea that it’s actually being received that way, it’s sort of extraordinary," Gerwig, 39, said while discussing the inspiration for the film in an interview published by the New York Times on Tuesday.