Barbie (film)

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Last edited July 31, 2023
This article is about the 2023 live-action film. For the animated Barbie films, see List of Barbie films.

Barbie
In the sky, a large styled pink "B" with Margot Robbie as Barbie sitting holding out her right arm and Ken lying down in an angle with his head resting on his right clenched hand. A tagline reads: "She's everything. He's just Ken."
Theatrical release poster
Directed byGreta Gerwig
Produced by
Written by
Based onBarbie
by Mattel
Starring
Music by
CinematographyRodrigo Prieto
Edited byNick Houy
Production
company
Distributed byWarner Bros. Pictures
Release date
  • July 9, 2023 (2023-07-09) (Shrine Auditorium)
  • July 21, 2023 (2023-07-21) (United States)
Running time
114 minutes[1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$128–145 million[2][3]
Box office$578.8 million[4][5]

Barbie is a 2023 American fantasy comedy film directed by Greta Gerwig, who also wrote it with Noah Baumbach.[6] Based on the Barbie fashion dolls by Mattel, it is the first live-action Barbie film after numerous computer-animated direct-to-video and streaming television films. The film follows Barbie (Margot Robbie) and Ken (Ryan Gosling) on a journey of self-discovery following an existential crisis. It features an ensemble cast, including America Ferrera, Kate McKinnon, Issa Rae, Rhea Perlman, and Will Ferrell.

A live-action Barbie film was announced in September 2009 by Universal Pictures with Laurence Mark producing. Development began in April 2014, when Sony Pictures acquired the film rights. Following multiple writer and director changes and the casting of Amy Schumer and later Anne Hathaway as Barbie, the rights were transferred to Warner Bros. Pictures in October 2018. Robbie was cast in 2019, and Gerwig was announced as director and co-writer with Baumbach in 2021. The rest of the cast were announced in early 2022. Filming took place primarily at Warner Bros. Studios, Leavesden, in England and on the Venice Beach Skatepark in Los Angeles from March to July 2022.

Barbie premiered at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles on July 9, 2023, and was theatrically released in the United States on July 21, 2023, by Warner Bros. Pictures. Its simultaneous release with Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer led to the "Barbenheimer" phenomenon on social media, which encouraged audiences to see both films as a double feature. The film received mostly positive reviews from critics and has grossed over $578 million worldwide, becoming the seventh-highest grossing film of 2023.

Plot

Stereotypical Barbie ("Barbie") and a wide range of fellow Barbies all reside in Barbieland, an matriarchal society where women are self-confident, self-sufficient, and successful. While their Ken counterparts spend their days engaging in recreational activities at the beach, the Barbies hold all important job positions such as doctors, lawyers, and politicians. Beach Ken ("Ken") is only happy when he is with Barbie and seeks a closer relationship, but Barbie rebuffs him in favor of independence and female friendships.

During a dance party, Barbie is suddenly stricken with worries about mortality. The next day, she finds she can no longer complete her usual routine and discovers her feet have gone flat and she has cellulite. Weird Barbie, a wise but disfigured outcast, tells her that to cure her affliction, she must travel into the real world and find the child playing with her. On her way to the real world, Barbie finds Ken stowed away in her convertible, and reluctantly allows him to join her.

Arriving at Venice Beach, the two cause multiple antics, alarming the Mattel CEO, who orders their capture. Barbie tracks down her owner, a tween girl named Sasha, who criticizes her for encouraging unrealistic beauty standards. Distraught, Barbie discovers that Gloria, a Mattel employee and Sasha's mother, is the catalyst of her existential crisis. Gloria began to play with Sasha's old Barbie toys while experiencing her own identity crisis, inadvertently transferring her concerns to Barbie. Mattel attempts to put Barbie in a toy box for remanufacturing, but she escapes with Gloria and Sasha's help, and the three travel to Barbieland, with the Mattel CEO and high-ranking executives in pursuit.

Meanwhile, Ken learns about the patriarchal system, and feels respected and accepted for the first time. Returning to Barbieland, he persuades the other Kens to take over, and the Barbies are subjugated into submissive roles such as maids, housewives, and agreeable girlfriends. Barbie arrives and tries to convince Ken and the Barbies to return to the way things were, only to be rebuffed. She becomes depressed, but Gloria gives an inspirational speech about society's conflicting expectations of women, restoring Barbie's self-confidence.

With the assistance of Sasha, Weird Barbie, Allan, and other discontinued dolls, Gloria uses her messagings on all the Barbies to bring them out of their subordinate behaviors. The restored Barbies then manipulate the Kens to fight amongst themselves and be distracted from altering the constitution to enshrine male superiority, while the Barbies regain their positions of power. In the process, they also realize the error of their previous societal system, and decide to make some changes in Barbieland, including better treatment for the Kens and all outcast dolls.

Barbie and Ken apologize to each other and acknowledge their failings. Ken bemoans that he has no identity or purpose without Barbie, to which Barbie encourages him to find an autonomous identity. Barbie, who remains unsure of her own purpose and identity, meets with the spirit of Mattel co-founder and Barbie inventor Ruth Handler, who explains that Barbie's story has no set ending and her ever-evolving history surpasses that of her roots.

After the Barbies, Kens, and Mattel executives bid Barbie goodbye, she decides to become human and return to the real world. Some time later, Gloria, her husband, and Sasha take Barbie, now going by the name "Barbara Handler", to her first gynecological appointment.

Cast

Margot Robbie at the 2016 San Diego Comic Con International in San Diego, California.
Ryan Gosling at the 2017 San Diego Comic Con International in San Diego, California.
Margot Robbie (left) and Ryan Gosling (right) portray Barbie and Ken.

Production

Development

Development on a film based on the Barbie toy line began in September 2009, when it was announced that Mattel had signed a partnership to develop the project with Universal Pictures and with Laurence Mark as producer, but nothing came to fruition.[31] In April 2014, Mattel teamed with Sony Pictures to produce the film, which would have Jenny Bicks writing the screenplay and Laurie MacDonald and Walter F. Parkes producing through the Parkes+MacDonald Image Nation banner they created. Filming at the time was anticipated to begin by the end of the year.[32] In March 2015, Diablo Cody was brought onto the project to rewrite the screenplay, and Amy Pascal joined the producing team.[33] Sony Pictures would again have rewrites done to the screenplay later that year, hiring Lindsey Beer, Bert V. Royal, and Hillary Winston to write separate drafts.[34]

In December 2016, Amy Schumer entered negotiations to star in the title role with Winston's screenplay; Schumer helped rewrite the script with her sister, Kim Caramele.[35] In March 2017, Schumer exited negotiations, blaming scheduling conflicts with the planned June 2017 filming start; in 2023 she revealed she left the project due to creative differences with the film's producers at the time.[36][37] That July, Anne Hathaway was under consideration for the title role, with Sony Pictures hiring Olivia Milch to rewrite the screenplay and approaching Alethea Jones to direct as a means to interest Hathaway into signing on.[38] Jones was attached to direct by March 2018.[39]

In August 2018, Robbie Brenner had been hired as producer by Mattel CEO Ynon Kreiz with the rights reverting back to Mattel, with Kreiz having the intention to repossess the rights following the expiration of Sony Pictures's option. Later, Brenner was hired to run Mattel Films.[40][41] The expiration of Sony Pictures's option on the project in October 2018 and its transfer to Warner Bros. Pictures would see the departures of Hathaway, Jones, Macdonald, Parkes and Pascal. Margot Robbie would enter early talks for the role, with Patty Jenkins briefly considered for the director position.[42] Kreiz was determined to cast Robbie in the titular role after meeting with her following his hiring as CEO as both he and Brenner had felt that Robbie's appearance had been close to the appearance of a conventional Barbie doll and had been impressed by her ideas. Initial meetings had occurred at the Polo Lounge located in the The Beverly Hills Hotel.[43][41] Eventually, Brenner had partnered with Robbie's production company, LuckyChap Entertainment, with Robbie's husband Tom Ackerley and Josey McNamara also being enlisted as producers.[40][41] Robbie's casting was confirmed in July 2019.[7]

Robbie had also been the producer and had pitched the film to Warner Bros. During the green-light meeting, Robbie had compared the film to Steven Spielberg's Jurassic Park (1993) and had also jokingly suggested that it would gross over a billion dollars.[44] Later on, she approached Greta Gerwig as the screenwriter as she enjoyed Gerwig's previous films, particularly Little Women (2019). Gerwig was in post-production for another film, and accepted the role on the condition that her partner, Noah Baumbach, would also write the screenplay.[45][46] Gerwig signed on to also direct the film in July 2021.[47] Robbie said that the film's aim was to subvert expectations and give audiences "the thing you didn't know you wanted".[48]

  1. ↑ "Barbie (12A)". British Board of Film Classification. July 3, 2023. Archived from the original on June 29, 2023. Retrieved July 3, 2023.
  2. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Deadline-Previews
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Paskin, Willa (July 11, 2023). "Greta Gerwig's 'Barbie' Dream Job". The New York Times Magazine. Archived from the original on July 11, 2023. Retrieved July 11, 2023.
  4. ↑ Template:Cite Box Office Mojo
  5. ↑ Template:Cite The Numbers
  6. ↑ Rubin, Rebecca (April 25, 2023). "Greta Gerwig, Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling Bring Plastic, Fantastic 'Barbie' to CinemaCon". Variety. Archived from the original on April 25, 2023. Retrieved April 25, 2023.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 N'Duka, Amanda (July 15, 2019). "Greta Gerwig, Noah Baumbach To Script Warner Bros' Live-Action Barbie Film". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on October 22, 2021. Retrieved October 22, 2021.
  8. ↑ Gyarke, Lovia (July 18, 2023). "'Barbie' Review: Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling in Doll Comedy From Greta Gerwig That Delivers the Fun but Fudges the Politics". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on July 20, 2023. Retrieved July 13, 2023.
  9. ↑ Kroll, Justin (February 16, 2022). "Barbie: Kate McKinnon Latest To Join Margot Robbie In Warner Bros, Mattel And LuckChap Film". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on February 16, 2022. Retrieved February 16, 2022.
  10. ↑ 10.00 10.01 10.02 10.03 10.04 10.05 10.06 10.07 10.08 10.09 Massoto, Erick (April 4, 2023). "'Barbie' Character Posters: Margot Robbie's Dollhouse Is Full". Collider. Archived from the original on April 4, 2023. Retrieved April 4, 2023.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 11.5 11.6 11.7 11.8 Kroll, Justin (April 15, 2022). "Barbie: Kingsley Ben-Adir, Rhea Perlman, Emerald Fennell, Scott Evans, Others, Rounding Out Cast Of Warner Bros. Mattel and LuckyChap Pic". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on April 15, 2022. Retrieved April 15, 2022.
  12. ↑ Davis, Clayton (March 18, 2022). "Tick, Tick ... Boom! Star Alexandra Shipp Joins Greta Gerwig's Barbie (Exclusive)". Variety. Archived from the original on March 18, 2022. Retrieved March 18, 2022.
  13. ↑ Clark, Rebekah (March 22, 2022). "Emma Mackey Joins Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling In New Barbie Film". Grazia. Archived from the original on March 28, 2022. Retrieved March 26, 2022.
  14. ↑ "Dua Lipa joins the cast of Greta Gerwig's Barbie film alongside Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling". Official Charts. Archived from the original on April 4, 2023. Retrieved April 4, 2023.
  15. ↑ Grobar, Matt (July 5, 2022). "Greta Gerwig's Barbie Adds Industry Actor Marisa Abela". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on July 16, 2022. Retrieved July 5, 2022.
  16. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named GoslingCast
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 @kylebuchanan (May 19, 2022). "For one, I'm hearing that Ryan Gosling is not the only Ken in the BARBIE film. Simu Liu and Ncuti Gatwa also play Kens" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  18. ↑ Kit, Borys; Galuppo, Mia (February 11, 2022). "Simu Liu Joins Margot Robbie in Warner Bros.'s Barbie (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on March 10, 2022. Retrieved February 11, 2022.
  19. ↑ "BARBIE: John Cena Reveals That Landing The Role Of Merman Ken Was A "Happy Accident"". May 17, 2023. Archived from the original on May 19, 2023. Retrieved May 25, 2023.
  20. ↑ "Barbie: John Cena Debuts His 'Kenmaid' Look in Blonde Wig and Shell Necklace from Margot Robbie's Upcoming Film (View Pic) | 🎥 LatestLY". July 13, 2023. Archived from the original on July 14, 2023. Retrieved July 13, 2023.
  21. ↑ Kroll, Justin (February 9, 2022). "America Ferrera Joins Margot Robbie In Barbie Movie From Warner Bros, Mattel And LuckyChap". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on February 9, 2022. Retrieved February 9, 2022.
  22. ↑ "Issa Rae and Michael Cera Join Margot Robbie 'Barbie' Movie | Entertainment Tonight". www.etonline.com. April 14, 2022. Archived from the original on October 26, 2022. Retrieved May 24, 2023.
  23. ↑ "BARBIE: More Jewish than you ever imagined". Archived from the original on June 29, 2023. Retrieved July 4, 2023.
  24. ↑ Kroll, Justin (March 1, 2022). "Barbie: Ariana Greenblatt Joins Margot Robbie In Warner Bros., Mattel And LuckyChap Pic". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on March 1, 2022. Retrieved March 1, 2022.
  25. ↑ Miller, Julie (December 16, 2022). "Helen Mirren Confirms That Was Her in the 'Barbie' Trailer—And There's More". Vanity Fair. Archived from the original on December 19, 2022. Retrieved December 19, 2022.
  26. ↑ Kroll, Justin (April 11, 2022). "Barbie: Will Ferrell Latest To Join Margot Robbie In Warner Bros., Mattel And LuckyChap Film". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on April 11, 2022. Retrieved April 11, 2022.
  27. ↑ Kroll, Justin (April 15, 2022). "'Barbie': Kingsley Ben-Adir, Rhea Perlman, Emerald Fennell, Scott Evans, More Round Out Cast Of Warner Bros, Mattel And LuckyChap Pic". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on April 15, 2022. Retrieved May 24, 2023.
  28. ↑ "Meet Sugar Daddy Ken, Midge, and 'Barbie's other discontinued dolls". Mashable. July 22, 2023. Archived from the original on July 22, 2023. Retrieved July 23, 2023.
  29. ↑ "All the discontinued dolls featured in 'Barbie,' from Allan and Midge to Sugar Daddy Ken". Insider. July 21, 2023. Archived from the original on July 23, 2023. Retrieved July 23, 2023.
  30. ↑ Hiatt, Brian (July 3, 2023). "The Brain Behind 'Barbie': Inside the Brilliant Mind of Greta Gerwig". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on July 3, 2023. Retrieved July 3, 2023. {{cite magazine}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; July 4, 2023 suggested (help)
  31. ↑ Fleming, Michael; Graser, Marc (September 23, 2009). "Barbie's a Living Doll at Universal Pictures with Big Screen Plans". Variety. Archived from the original on July 19, 2022. Retrieved May 23, 2022.
  32. ↑ Fleming, Mike Jr (April 23, 2014). "Sony Pictures Teams With Mattel To Fashion Film Franchise Based On Barbie Toyline". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on October 22, 2021. Retrieved October 22, 2021.
  33. ↑ Fleming, Mike Jr. (March 4, 2015). "Diablo Cody Set To Rewrite 'Barbie'". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on October 22, 2021. Retrieved October 22, 2021.
  34. ↑ Fleming, Mike Jr. (December 15, 2015). "'Barbie' Movie: Sony Trying Three Poses With Three Scripts". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on February 24, 2020. Retrieved October 22, 2021.
  35. ↑ Fleming, Mike Jr. (December 2, 2016). "Amy Schumer Playing Barbie". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on October 22, 2021. Retrieved October 22, 2021.
  36. ↑ Hipes, Patrick (March 23, 2017). "Amy Schumer Says Bye-Bye To Barbie". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on October 22, 2021. Retrieved October 22, 2021.
  37. ↑ Sharf, Zack (June 9, 2023). "Amy Schumer Dropped Out of Barbie Because Original Script Wasn't "Feminist and Cool" Enough: "There's a New Team Behind It" Now". Variety. Archived from the original on June 10, 2023. Retrieved June 10, 2023.
  38. ↑ Busch, Anita (July 24, 2017). "Anne Hathaway Circling Barbie At Sony". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on October 22, 2021. Retrieved October 22, 2021.
  39. ↑ N'Duka, Amanda (March 23, 2018). "Female Directors Scorecard: Sony's Barbie, Charlie's Angels And More". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on October 22, 2021. Retrieved October 22, 2021.
  40. ↑ 40.0 40.1 Jacobs, Matthew (July 20, 2023). "The Woman Who Rescued Barbie from Development Hell". Vulture. Archived from the original on July 21, 2023. Retrieved July 21, 2023.
  41. ↑ 41.0 41.1 41.2 Wagmeister, Elizabeth (July 20, 2023). "'This Is Not About Selling Toys': Mattel Bosses on 'Barbie's' Long Development, Needing a Female Director and More". Variety. Archived from the original on July 21, 2023. Retrieved July 21, 2023.
  42. ↑ D'Alessandro, Anthony (October 5, 2018). "Barbie Zooming From Sony To Warner Bros; Margot Robbie In Early Talks". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on August 26, 2018. Retrieved October 22, 2021.
  43. ↑ Dockterman, Eliana (June 27, 2023). "How Barbie Came to Life". Time. Archived from the original on June 27, 2023. Retrieved July 24, 2023.
  44. ↑ Nemiroff, Perri; Jones, Tamera (July 19, 2023). "Margot Robbie Sold 'Barbie' By Comparing It to Steven Spielberg's 'Jurassic Park'". Collider. Archived from the original on July 20, 2023. Retrieved July 21, 2023.
  45. ↑ Barasch, Alex (July 2, 2023). "After "Barbie", Mattel is Raiding Its Entire Toy Box". The New Yorker. Archived from the original on July 10, 2023. Retrieved July 21, 2023.
  46. ↑ Marriott, Hannah (July 19, 2023). "It's Greta's World... The Director Talks Boiler Suits, New Babies, And Barbie-Mania". Elle. Archived from the original on July 21, 2023. Retrieved July 21, 2023.
  47. ↑ Jackson, Angelique (July 9, 2021). "Greta Gerwig to Direct Barbie With Margot Robbie, Filming to Start in 2022". Variety. Archived from the original on July 9, 2021. Retrieved October 22, 2021.
  48. ↑ Rose, Lacey (December 18, 2020). "Margot Robbie and LuckyChap Partners Talk Their Producing Strategy: "If It's Not a 'F***, Yes,' It's a 'No'"". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on April 14, 2022. Retrieved April 14, 2022.
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