The biggest movie in America isn’t Marvel, Star Wars, or Avatar. It doesn’t even star Tom Cruise. It’s Warner Bros. Discovery’s new film Barbie, directed by Greta Gerwig and starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling. In its opening weekend alone, the movie soared to a $162 million domestic gross, setting the record for the highest U.S. opening for a film directed by a woman.

After a decade of dominance by franchise installments, studio executives,industry insiders, and Marshall faculty are analyzing the root of Barbie’s unprecedented success. Though the film follows a recent trend of product-centric releases, including Air (Jordan 1 Nike shoes), Blackberry, and Flamin’ Hot (Cheetos), Warner Bros. Discovery’s summer blockbuster completely outperformed its predecessors.

So what’s Barbie’s secret? Professors of Marketing at the USC Marshall School of Business tried to answer that question.

“This movie targets moms. It evokes nostalgia about her own childhood experience with the brand but it also assures her that Barbie is a safe space for her child,” said LAURENCE VINCENT, associate professor of marketing at USC Marshall and a former strategist at Barbie’s parent company, Mattel.

Vincent believes the film is more than just a resurgence, though. It’s the result of decades’ worth of rebranding.

“Mattel has worked for years to win moms back,” said Vincent. “They changed Barbie’s sculpt. They varied the skin tones and hair styles. And they featured Barbie in much more diverse settings and occupations. This movie can be seen as the pinnacle of that effort.”

Still, this isn’t a typical corporate rebranding. In one scene, a young teen girl (one of Barbie’s key consumer bases) calls the titular character (and product) a “fascist.” According to GERWIG, Mattel originally wanted to cut the entire exchange, but the director’s protests convinced the corporate producers to let the scene remain as is.

It’s a relatively radical choice, at least according to THERESE WILBUR, associate professor of marketing. And Wilbur knows her stuff. From 1992 to 2005, she worked as the senior marketing director at Mattel, specifically in charge of Barbie. She sees this new film as a major step forward in Mattel’s marketing approach.

“Would Disney dare to release a movie like this about Mickey Mouse?” said Wilbur. “The brand has known how to identify with women and girls from all over the world, to show that all women can be Barbie. I noticed that the brand was not taking risks, but now they are. They are refreshing, reinforcing it, in a very accurate way.”

The film’s not without its detractors, but the controversy hasn’t done much to affect Barbie’s business. On the contrary, APARNA PANDE, adjunct professor of entrepreneurship, suggested that the film’s political frankness may be a financial benefit.