Here's Everything You Need to Know About the Upcoming Live- Action Barbie Movie
If you like to hang out much on social media, you've probably noticed the frenzy building around this Summer's hottest up-and-coming film release starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling as—you'd better believe it—Barbie and Ken respectively. A dazzlingly star- studded blockbuster Barbie movie is headed our way, which means it's definitely time to dust off, accessorise, and perhaps even add to your prized personal Barbie doll set!
From Barbie selfies to Barbiecore fashion, in anticipation of the film, the virtual world has well and truly tumbled into the Dreamhouse. But why, you may ask, is just about everyone on the internet losing their mind over Barbie? Well, as it turns out, this thrillingly fresh adaptation of the iconic Mattel Barbie franchise is set to break the mould in more ways than one. We're sure you'll agree that when a Barbie movie script that Ryan Gosling called the “best script I've ever read” is green-lit with director Greta Gerwig at the helm, something truly mind-blowing is about to happen.
Distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, this pastel-hued blockbuster is set to follow the adventures of Barbie as she is expelled from Barbie Land for being a less-than-perfect- looking doll. Happily, this initial downer will only inspire her to set off for the human world in search of true happiness—with Gosling's bleach-blonde and muscular Ken amusingly in tow.
A Fresh Take on the Mattel Barbie Franchise
Few could have imagined that mastermind movie-maker Greta Gerwig would be drawn to a Barbie Movie script—especially given that she already has a collection of Oscar- nominated films under her belt, such as Lady Bird and Little Women.
However, as details of the upcoming release seep out into the public sphere, her choice seems a savvy one indeed. For this much-hyped flick, Gerwig is not only directing but also boasts co-writing credentials alongside her partner Noah Baumbach. Her creative team is boosted all the more by the presence of Rodrigo Prieto in the cinematographer's seat and Nick Houy taking charge of editing.
Interestingly, this is a movie that has been in the works for a long time, perhaps because of the project's Teflon-like resistance to towing the traditional line. A live-action Barbie movie was initially announced in September 2009 by Universal Pictures with Laurence Mark producing, but development only began in April 2014 when the rights slid over to Sony Pictures. The celebrity names gravitating towards the title role and director's chair went through some shifts before the movie rights were once again transferred, this time to Warner Bros. Pictures in late 2018.
Soon, Robbie was tied to the project, both as titular star and as a producer through her
very own LuckyChap Entertainment production company. Providing additional production clout, Heyday Films and Mattel Films came along for the ride too, and Gerwig's involvement was confirmed in 2021. By the next spring, Gosling had jumped aboard and filming began at Warner Bros. Studios in Leavesden, England before continuing in Los Angeles, California. Rollerblades at the ready!
Has a Barbie Movie Trailer Dropped Yet?
The moment we all knew that this was going to be an anything-but-ordinary Barbie experience came when the first teaser for the film released in the run-up to last Christmas. Just over one-minute long, the tantalizing clip paid homage to Stanley Kubrick's cult film 2001: A Space Odyssey. However, in place of an ominous black monolith stands Margot Robbie as a giant Barbie within a desert landscape as Helen Mirren's unmistakably evocative voice narrates the surreal scene.
Of course, we need more than a teaser to truly whet our appetites, so in April 2023 a full trailer landed, giving us even more of a taste of what's to come. To the joyful melody of Fun, Fun, Fun by the Beach Boys, we get a joyful glimpse of Robbie's permanently arched Barbie feet before we join her for a ride through Barbie Land in her renowned pink convertible. As you'll spot, both the cast's incredible comedic delivery and the popping chemistry between Robbie and Gosling are abundant, hinting at a movie that is not to be missed.
What Else Makes Greta Gerwig's Barbie Movie So Vision Exciting?
Without a doubt, this is a seriously fresh take on the Barbie Mattel originally introduced to the world back in 1959, although Vogue noted that Robbie wears Barbie's inaugural black- and-white striped and strapless 1950s bikini in the teaser trailer.
Of course, it's not the first feature film in the franchise but certainly the first live-action adaptation—with each prior Barbie movie animated by Mattel in co-production with Canadian Mainframe Studios, going all the way back to their first collaboration in 2001. Crucially, as great as the cartoon Barbie movies may have been, all things indicate that this one is likely to stand out from the crowd. So much so that when Robbie first read the script, her reaction was: “Ah! This is so good. What a shame it will never see the light of day because they are never going to let us make this movie.”
But make the movie they certainly have. As actor Simu Liu—who plays one of the film's many Kens—shared, the trailblazing film is all about “inner beauty,” with Gerwig's casting strategically diverse and inclusive. "We were able to cast people of different shapes, sizes, differently abled,” he shared, before continuing, “You don't have to be blonde, white, or X, Y, Z in order to embody what it means to be a Barbie or a Ken."
The Latest Info On the New Barbie Movie Cast
All of that said, the question remains, what do we know about cast members who will step into the various board shorts, arched shoes, and mermaid tails of the other Ken and Barbie dolls? Alongside Gosling and Robbie's Ken Barbie duo, Mirren's narrator, and Liu's Ken we find a jaw-dropping ensemble cast.
Prepare to see Kingsley Ben-Adir, Scott Evans, and Ncuti Gatwa also bringing their own takes on Ken to the screen. Meanwhile, Emma Mackey, Dua Lipa, Hari Nef, Anna Cruz Kayne, Kate McKinnon, Nicola Coughlan, Sharon Rooney, Issa Rae, Ritu Arya and Alexandra Shipp will all present their versions of Barbie's many personas.
Of course, there will be other characters too, such as Michel Cera playing the part of Allan, Emerald Fennel portraying Midge, America Ferrera and Ariana Greenblatt playing “humans,” and Will Ferrel playing, as the actor put it, the “insensitive but weird” CEO of Mattel.
When Is the New Barbie Movie Coming Out?
So, are you ready to see Ryan Gosling's self-proclaimed “Ken-ergy” in action? As Robbie explains, there's plenty to be curious about: “People generally hear ‘Barbie’ and think, ‘I know what that movie is going to be,’ and then they hear that Greta Gerwig is writing and directing it, and they’re like, ‘Oh, well, maybe I don’t...’”
Thrillingly none of us have to wait long to find out what the movie is made of for ourselves, because Barbie is scheduled to be released in the United Kingdom on July 21, 2023. That's only a skip and a hop—or maybe a roll or a shimmy—away, but still gives plenty of time for you to beef up your uniquely curated Barbie set.
Be sure to check out the latest Mattel goodies from World Of Kidz, subscribing to our Newsletter as you do for exclusive discounts and pre-order opportunities. An exciting new Barbie experience awaits!