Margot Robbie. Photo: Getty
Between The Lego Movie and Transformers, it’s crazy we haven’t gotten a feature film about the most famous toy in the world: Barbie. Sure, there are a number of animated movies and series, but no one’s yet tapped the box office potential of bringing Barbie to life…unless you count Life-Size, which I kind of do.
But finally, it looks like Barbie is gearing up to hit the big screen. Here’s everything we know about the upcoming picture:
It’s directed by Greta Gerwig
Gerwig and her partner, Noah Baumbach, have been attached to the project as co-screenwriters since 2019, but Variety confirmed in July 2021 that Gerwig will also direct.
Margot Robbie stars as Barbie
“It comes with a lot of baggage!” Robbie told British British Vogue in June 2021. “And a lot of nostalgic connections. But with that comes a lot of exciting ways to attack it. 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…”
Ryan Gosling will play Ken
Deadline broke the news on October 22.
America Ferrera has a role as well
In February 2022, Deadline announced that Ferrera had taken a role in the film. Zero other details about her part were revealed.
This is far from the first lineup
Sony has been trying to make a Barbie movie happen since 2014. First, it was Sex and the City‘s Jenny Bicks writing a script, then Diablo Cody came in, and Amy Schumer was cast in the lead role. Then she dropped out, and the role went to Anne Hathaway. Then Cody left the project, and they basically scrapped the whole thing and started fresh at Warner Bros., with Olivia Milch of Ocean’s 8 writing. Now, of course, Gerwig and Baumbach are in charge, and it’s unclear how much of the previous versions they’ll be working with.
It starts filming soon
Mattel CEO Ynon Kreiz told CNBC in February 2022 that production would start “this coming March,” i.e., the very next month. Exciting!
Originally published in Glamour.com
