Since Greta Gerwig started making her Barbie movie in the spring of 2019, our interest in it has gone through the roof.
Although the world of the legendary doll has been dramatized in multiple feature films and other animated TV series, this is the first live-action production.
It’s a chance to witness a toy from our youth come to life, and it’s going swimmingly, given that Margot Robbie, an actress with the same physical characteristics as the doll, has been cast as the lead (long blond hair, blue eyes, slim figure).
Co-produced by Mattel Films, LuckyChap Entertainment, Warner Bros., and Margot Robbie’s production business, it should begin filming in the first half of 2016.
In the meantime, let’s take stock of what we already know.
The auditions
While Amy Schumer and Anne Hathaway first expressed interest in playing Barbie, the Australian actress Margot Robbie will take on the iconic character in the big-screen adaptation of the beloved childhood toy.
When asked about her choice by Variety in a January 2019 interview, she said the following:
“When a youngster plays with Barbie, he or she develops a sense of self-confidence, curiosity, and communication. From princess to president, Barbie has let children envisage herself in these situations over the course of nearly 60 years.”
Is Ryan Gosling a better choice to portray the role of her companion? In fact, he was cast as Ken in October of that year. Sex Education’s breakout star, Emma Mackey, has recently been added to the cast.
A toy company CEO, Will Ferrell, also joins the cast (the Hollywood Reporter already guesses Mattel, at the origin of Barbie dolls, is behind this company).
America Ferrera, Issa Rae, Alexandra Shipp, Simu Liu, Hari Nef, Connor Swindells, Kate McKinnon and Michael Cera are also in the cast (Juno, Gloria Bell).
Plot twists and turns
After long contemplation, Greta Gerwig has been chosen to helm the picture, which she and Noah Baumbach will write together.
Although the talent of this duo has long been established (Greta Gerwig directed Lady Bird and Noah Baumbach led Marriage Story with Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson in 2019), this choice suggests an adaptation that is far from the stereotypes to which the doll is usually entitled because of their dominance in American independent cinema.
Barbie will be an outcast and have to live in the real world, says The Hollywood Reporter, because she is seen as not being perfect.
A human being, she will be forced to adapt to this new reality and all that it entails in the film (she will have to take on the body of a real woman and no longer that of a doll).
In an interview with British Vogue in 2021, Margot Robbie discussed the film’s long-term effects. On the other hand, the actor encourages the audience to see it as a completely new rewrite of the initial stories about her.
Greta Gerwig’s feminist vision for the film will also make the surprise even bigger. Is there anything in particular that we’re hoping for? This is a film that is both refreshing and timely.
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