Surprisingly, there has been no live-action Barbie movie made before the 2020s. That has been announced to change with the upcoming Barbie movie from Warner Bros., which has been scheduled for a 2023 release. The announcement was met with a positive response that indicated major viewer interest. While there has been over 30 Barbie computer-animated films made in the past two decades, they obviously had a much more limited audience.
Hollywood has not had a great track record with movies based on toys, but some have been great successes such as The Lego Movie, Clue, and Bumblebee. Fortunately, Barbie appears to have everything that it needs to be another success. With the world emerging from a very difficult last couple of years, an enjoyable romantic comedy may be just one of the things that the world needs. Here are four reasons why director Greta Gerwig’s Barbie movie could be amazing.
4 Director Greta Gerwig’s Track Record
Columbia Pictures
Greta Gerwig was the director and writer of the critically-acclaimed Little Women and Lady Bird. Both films proved to be a showcase for her directing and writing strengths. Little Women was nominated for six Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Adapted Screenplay, and Lady Bird was nominated for Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Director. Gerwig has often pulled from her personal experiences when creating her films. She revealed in a behind-the-scenes video for Lady Bird that she has started with things from her “own life, then pretty quickly they spin out into their own orbit.” The director has also referred to using an actor-focused filmmaking approach in her movies, asserting that “it’s all about actors.”
With Gerwig’s remarkable past achievements, Barbie could very well be another film that utilizes all her talents. Outside directing and writing, Gerwig worked as a film and television actress for many years. Her understanding of not only being a director but also the world of acting should allow her to pull some amazing performances from the cast. Disney has even hired Gerwig to write Marc Webb’s upcoming Snow White film. There has been no limits on what the multi-talented director can do.
3 An Incredible Cast
Summit Entertainment
Margot Robbie has always seemed like the obvious choice to play Barbie. She achieved major stardom with her role as Harley Quinn in the DCEU, but has also chosen to take part in smaller projects such as I, Tonya, Mary Queen of Scots, and Bombshell. Joining Barbie is her counterpart, Ken, played by Ryan Gosling. After 2004’s The Notebook, Gosling continued to actively star in romantic films, which included Crazy, Stupid, Love and the widely beloved La La Land. However, there will not be just one Barbie in Gerwig’s film — or one Ken, for that matter. It has been revealed that there will be multiple versions of Barbie and Ken.
According to Kyle Buchanan of the New York Times, it was announced at Cannes that Issa Rae (Insecure, Lovebirds) and Hari Nef (Assassination Nation, Transparent) will also be playing Barbie. As for the Kens, the other versions will be played by Marvel superhero Simu Liu (Shang-Chi, Kim’s Convenience) and the new Doctor of Doctor Who, Ncuti Gatwa (Sex Education). The cast of Barbie has also been announced to include America Ferrera, Kate McKinnon, Alexandra Shipp, Emma Mackey, and Michael Cera. U.K. tabloid, The Sun, additionally reported that pop superstar Dua Lipa will be appearing in the film. With such a star-studded cast, Barbie has tremendous star power the likes of which no romantic comedy in recent memory has seen before.
2 Said to Have the “Best Script Ever”
Mattel, Inc.
Before auditioning for Barbie, Ken actor Simu Liu knew almost nothing about the upcoming Greta Gerwig project. It was only when one of Liu’s agents reached out to him that he realized Barbie was shaping up to become something truly special. Simu Liu shared with GQ UK how the agent convinced him he had to audition for a role:
On the film, Liu described Barbie as “wild” and “incredibly unique”, and expressed how much he wishes to show people what they’re doing “because it’s crazy.” The Barbie script was written by director Gerwig with her collaborator and partner, Noah Baumbach. Gerwig and Baumbach previously wrote Frances Ha and Mistress America together, both of which were positively-received. Baumbach also directed and wrote the critically-acclaimed Marriage Story for Netflix. Both Gerwig and Bambach have showed they know how to write a great script, and a great script has often proved to lead to a great movie.
1 The First Live-Action Barbie Movie
Mattel, Inc., Universal Studios
Mattel’s line of Barbie dolls has traditionally had a target audience of young girls. The over two-decades of computer-animated Barbie films has had the same target audience, helping sell Barbie dolls in an ever-growing digital world. This meant that those who were not interested in Barbie dolls generally were not watching the animated features. Regardless of the movies’ quality, many have continued to view the entire genre of animation as made exclusively for kids. Greta Gerwig’s Barbie will not be able to address that as it is not an animated feature, but by the movie simply being live-action, it already has a much larger audience.
Producer and Barbie star, Margot Robbie, told the The Hollywood Reporter that the movie intends to “truly honor the IP and the fan base,” but also “surprise people.” The fact that a live-action Barbie movie has never previously been made has given the filmmakers a great deal of creative freedom. It has also allowed audiences to view the movie with an open mind instead of endlessly criticizing it with past comparisons. It won’t be a surprise if Barbie becomes a success and launches a new film franchise. In a theatrical market currently dominated by superhero movies, a Barbie movie could be a much-needed breath of fresh air.
