Everything We Know About ‘Barbie’: The Barbie live-action film we all have been waiting for is finally happening and promises to be pink and fabulous. The film is directed by Greta Gerwig and co-written by Noah Baumbach along with her. Manufactured by the American toy company Mattel Inc, the doll was created by Businesswoman Ruth Handler in 1959; it is a doll that launched a media franchise, from toys to video games, animated films, comic books, books, television series, you name it; Barbie is not a doll it is an icon.
Despite her innumerable appearances in various animated films and television shows the closest we got to a live-action Barbie was, the pink-clad Elle Woods played brilliantly by Reese Witherspoon. A live-action Barbie adaptation will be 2023’s gift to all Barbie fans and promises both style and substance as Academy Award-nominated director Greta Gerwig is the one helming the project.
Gerwig is known for her sensitive brilliance in films like Lady Bird (2017) and Little Women (2019); the film is unlike anything she has worked on previously and promises to be a quirky riot of colors, sweetness, and nostalgia. The film is produced by LuckyChap Entertainment, co-owned by Margot Robbie, who plays the titular role of the most famous doll ever; Barbie, Mattel Films, and Heyday Films are also coproducers of the film. Warner Bros released the first look of ‘Barbie’ in their presentation at Cinema Con 2022 in early April 2022. The filming for the live-action adaptation started in England in March 2022 and wrapped by July of the same year.
What is ‘Barbie’ About?
The plot details of ‘Barbie’ remain unshared, so there is quite a buzz as fans are inquisitive about any information related to the film. While the producers are still to share an official synopsis of the film or a full-length trailer that would give an insight into what the film is all about, there are only bits and pieces available from interviews and previous plot of what Barbie was supposed to be when it was supposed to be produced by Sony. Before it came to Warner Bros. Pictures, Barbie was to be produced by Sony and was supposed to be a “fish-out-of-water story a la Splash and Big, whereby Barbie gets kicked out of Barbieland because she’s not perfect enough, a bit eccentric, and doesn’t fit in. She then goes on an adventure in the real world,” as reported by Deadline.
However, this idea might have changed with the change in the studio, producers, and director. The film will certainly surprise people, as Margot Robbie suggested in an interview with Hollywood Reporter, “Something like Barbie where the IP, the name itself, people immediately have an idea of, “Oh, Margot is playing Barbie, I know what that is,” but 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.”. Be sure we will update soon as we find more details on Barbie plot points.
Who is in the movie’s Cast?
Two-time Academy Award-nominated Australian actress Margot Robbie is cast as the iconic Barbie. Robbie has won audience love for her portrayal of Harley Quinn in Suicide Squad films and Birds of Prey (2020) and was last seen in Damien Chazelle’s ‘Babylon’ (2022).
Actor Ryan Gosling is joining the cast in the role of Barbie’s love interest Ken. Gosling was recently seen in the action thriller film ‘The Gray Man’ (2022) and has been nominated twice for Academy Award for Best Actor.
Actor and comedian Will Ferrell is cast as the CEO of Mattel. A number of other famous actors are also joining the cast in undisclosed roles; among them are Kate McKinnon, Ariana Greenblatt, Alexandra Shipp, Emma Mackey, Michael Cera, Rhea Perlman, Emerald Fennell, Sharon Rooney, and others. Simu Liu, Kingsley Ben-Adir, Issa Rae, Ncuti Gatwa, and Hari Nef appear in the film as different versions of Barbie and her boyfriend, Ken.
When is ‘Barbie’ Releasing?
A live-action Barbie film has long been awaited by fans of the iconic doll who want to visit the Barbie world, and it is finally happening in 2023. The announcement for the film’s release was made in CinemaCon 2022 in the Warner Bros presentation. The film will release theatrically on 21st July 2023.
Watch the Trailer for ‘Barbie’
After a long wait and immense anticipation, the teaser trailer for ‘Barbie’ dropped on 15th December 2022 before select theatrical screenings of James Cameron’s ‘Avatar: Way of Water.’ Warner Bros. Pictures released the teaser trailer on their official YouTube channel on 16th December 2022.
While a full-length trailer is still awaited, the teaser garnered a lot of attention and praise for the unusual take on Barbie; narrated by Helen Mirren, the teaser begins with a parody of the introduction of Stanley Kubrick’s cinematic masterpiece ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’ before introducing Barbie and giving a glimpse into the sugary pink Barbie world. No one ever thought that Kubrick and Barbie can ever be a combination, but Gerwig has given a glimpse into what ‘Barbie’ in her hands can be: a crowd pleaser mega film with the unique sensibilities of an indie film. Watch the teaser trailer for yourself here and be awed:
Warner Bros. Pictures is yet to release a full-length trailer for the film, but we will be on the look-out for you, so rest assured you can watch it here the moment it drops:
