Barbie, the iconic and beloved doll created by Ruth Handler for Mattel in 1959, has had its fair share of movies and TV shows. However, the toy will now be brought to life by Academy Award nominee Greta Gerwig, recognized for being behind the latest adaptation of ‘Little Women’ (2019) and her solo directorial debut 2017’s ‘LadyBird.’
A live-action film for Barbie has been in the works since 2014, first under Sony Pictures and many writers and directors were attached to the project, including Juno’s Diablo Cody. However, now the film is being produced by Warner Bros. and was filmed last year.
Margot Robbie will play the titular character, as well as producing, and she will star alongside Ryan Gosling’s Ken. Robbie, who is known for her work in ‘The Wolf of Wall Street’ and ‘The Suicide Squad’, said to Variety that this project is “a great opportunity to put some positivity out in the world and a chance to be aspirational for younger kids.” Here, check out what we know about the film.
‘Barbie’ plot: What is the movie about?
The script is co-written by Gerwig and her partner Noah Baumbach, who most recently wrote and directed the Oscar-nominated ‘Marriage Story’ (2019) and ‘White Noise’ (2022). The duo has co-written other two films ‘Frances Ha’ and ‘Mistress America’.
While the plot has been kept under wraps, Robbie talked about the project with The Hollywood Reporter in 2020: “Our goal is to be like, ‘Whatever you’re thinking, we’re going to give you something totally different—the thing you didn’t know you wanted.’ Now, can we truly honor the IP and the fan base and also surprise people? Because if we can do all that and provoke a thoughtful conversation, then we’re really firing on all cylinders.”
‘Barbie’ cast: Who are the characters?
As we said before, Robbie and Gosling will play Barbie and Ken. But, it's been confirmed that they won't be the only ones. Dua Lipa, Emma Mackey, Alexandra Shipp, Kate McKinnon, Hari Nef, Ana Cruz Kayne, Nicola Coughlan, Kate McKinnon, Issa Rae, Ritu Arya and Sharon Rooney are all playing other versions of Barbie. While, Emerald Fennell will play Midge.
Also, Ncuti Gatwa and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings’ Simu Liu will also play other versions of Ken, as well as Kingsley Ben-Adir and Scott Evans. However, Michael Cera will be Allan.
On the other hand, Will Ferrell will play the CEO of a toy company. The rest of the cast consists of: America Ferrera, Ariana Greenblatt, Jamie Demetriou, Connor Swindells, who are all humans.
‘Barbie’ release date: When will the movie come out?
The film’s official release date in the US is July 21, 2023, almost a year from now. While there’s nothing official, if Warner Bros. and HBO Max maintain their deal, the movie could also hit the platform 45 days after its cinematic release, meaning in September 2023.
