Pure horror. When the first picture of Margot Robbie in Barbie was released in April, some movie fans couldn’t believe their eyes. With an exaggerated smile, the actress – who most recently wreaked havoc on the DC Universe as anti-heroine Harley Quinn – sits behind the wheel of a pink car that straight out of a toy box could come from. They can’t be serious, can they?!
Since 2009, Hollywood has been trying to bring the popular, successful and prejudiced toy brand from Mattel to the cinema. But neither Anne Hathaway nor Amy Schumer were able to bring the character to life on the big screen. After the Barbie movie over a decade in production hell (Variety ), it seemed as if all skeptical looks had been confirmed.
13 years later, the film adaptation happens anyway.
Barbie is a very ambitious project – yes, really!
Hathaway and Schumer have long since turned their backs on the project, as have all the filmmakers who have been involved in the meantime. The new version comes from mumblecore queen Greta Gerwig, who took the plunge behind the camera with Lady Bird and Little Women and makes an exciting choice for a Barbie film because of her honest and sensitive directing voice.
However, none of the images we have received from the Barbie film so far look honest and empathetic. On the contrary: More plastic is not possible. Margot Robbie and co-star Ryan Gosling, who was cast as Barbie’s dream man Ken, not only look like garishly dressed toy figures, they move like one too. This week numerous videos from the shooting in Venice Beach proved that.
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The previous insights into Barbie cause irritation. Ultimately, however, we should not be deterred by the supposed confusion of taste, because here one of the most exciting films of the next year. It is not without reason that Warner Bros. put the theatrical release on the same day that star director Christopher Nolan is presenting his next work, Oppenheimer, in cinemas worldwide.
Barbie is the hottest movie project in Hollywood
In recent years we have often seen talented filmmakers move into the blockbuster business very early on and robbed of their artistic vision will. At first glance, Gerwig’s involvement with Barbie fits this profile perfectly. Still, she deserves a leap of faith. Last but not least, Warner is considered a director-friendly studio that has made exceptional films Mad Max: Fury Road possible.
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Gerwig does not manage the film alone: her most important ally is Noah Baumbach. The two are married privately, one professionally unstoppable creativity. Together they have made outstanding films such as Frances Ha and Mistress America. Her Barbie script made waves in Hollywood and attracted numerous talents. This includes Marvel star Simu Liu.
The Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings actor spoke about the project in an interview with British GQ. “If I could bet my career on one screenplay, it would be on Barbie”, he quotes the words of his agent, who strongly suggested the film to him. Liu is not the only exciting name in a supporting role, as a look at the previously known cast of the Barbie film shows.
But what exactly makes Barbie the currently hottest film project of the dream factory?
To answer this question we have to read between the lines. Warner Bros. remains silent when it comes to specific details. Nonetheless, some promising snippets of information have already hit the internet, starting with the direction of the film. Warning, potential spoilers: Apparently, Gerwig’s film is the multiverse version of a Barbie adventure.
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Specifically, this means that we multiple versions of the iconic toy characters will see. Besides Robbie, the well-connected journalist Kyle Buchanan names Issa Rae (Insecure) and Hari Nef (And Just Like That…) as other Barbie actresses. Gosling’s Ken is joined by Ncuti Gatwa (Doctor Who) and the aforementioned Liu. And then there’s the striking casting of Emma Mackey (Sex Education), who looks extremely similar to Robbie.
Barbie between The Truman Show and The Lego Movie
The next stop in exploring Gerwig’s Barbie film is Robbie’s alleged letterboxed account, discovered in May. On the film rating platform, the actress is said to have created a list of films that she in preparation for barbie has looked. The title that caused the most stir: The Truman Show, in which Jim Carrey unsuspectingly grows up in a staged television series.
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Whether the list is genuine or not is unclear. But given everything we know about Barbie so far, it makes perfect sense. Also in Gerwig’s film artificial and real worlds collide, when Robbie’s character from Barbieland stumbles into reality and realizes she’s not unique. Warner has already had a similar twist in a toy film adaptation, namely in 2014’s The Lego Movie.
For Gerwig, this would be the perfect opportunity to present Barbie as a character, as a product and to question as a pop culture icon.
Barbie starts on July 20, 2022 in German cinemas.
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Are you looking forward to the Barbie movie with Margot Robbie?