Subhi Agrawal
Greta Gerwig, director of Barbie, celebrated the courage of risk-takers in the “daunting” entertainment industry as she was recognized for her groundbreaking filmmaking at a distinguished Hollywood event on Wednesday.
The First Female Director
At 41, Gerwig has become the first female director to helm a film that grossed $1 billion. Remarkably, all three of her solo directorial efforts—Lady Bird, Little Women, and Barbie—have been nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars.
“A showperson is the only person I’ve ever wanted to be,” she said as she received the title of Pioneer of the Year at the Will Rogers Motion Picture Pioneers Foundation gala in Beverly Hills.
“I wanted to be one of those people who are a little bit wild, a little bit on the edge and filled with a kind of joyful madness,” she continued.
“I think pioneer is the right word,” she added.
Gerwig’s latest creative risk proved successful when her feminist satire, Barbie, grossed $1.4 billion and became the highest-grossing film of 2023.
Barbie’s Success And Gerwig’s Narnia Plans
Remarkably based on the iconic doll franchise, but granted significant creative freedom, the film’s success arrived at a pivotal moment for an industry increasingly wary of risk, grappling with the effects of the pandemic, strikes, and widespread job cuts.
The film, along with Christopher Nolan’s Oscar-dominating Oppenheimer, was widely credited with helping sustain the movie theater industry during a challenging year.
Gerwig is reportedly slated to write and direct two Netflix film adaptations of C.S. Lewis’s The Chronicles of Narnia.
“There are easier ways to make money, and there are less terrifying businesses, but there are none that are more exciting and filled with as much joy and wonder,” she stated.
The Pioneer of the Year gala held on Wednesday raises funds to support movie industry workers facing injury or illness.
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