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Everything You Need to Know About Greta Gerwig’s ‘Barbie’
Life in plastic, it’s fantastic (and so is this cast).
The film will center on a doll living in Barbieland, who’s forced to leave due to her so-called imperfections—setting off on an adventure in the real world and discovering along the way that perfection can only truly be found within. If that sounds painfully clichéd, it’s worth noting that feminist auteur Greta Gerwig ( Lady Bird ) is both writing and directing the movie, with input from her partner Noah Baumbach ( Marriage Story )
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Greta Gerwig has teamed up with Margot Robbie and Warner Bros. for a live-action Barbie movie, based on Mattel’s famed doll. Robbie, who will also produce under her LuckyChap Entertainment banner, will play the title character, while Ryan Gosling will portray her not-so-plastic boyfriend, Ken. Gerwig’s adaptation will feature multiple variations of Barbie and Ken, rounded out by a star-studded cast that includes America Ferrera, Issa Rae, Kate McKinnon, Simu Liu, and more.
An official logline reads, “To live in Barbie Land is to be a perfect being in a perfect place. Unless you have a full-on existential crisis. Or you’re a Ken.”
Robbie previously said to expect the unexpected, while Will Ferrell, who plays the CEO of Mattel in the film, called it a “loving” and “satirical” homage to the brand. Barbie will be “an amazing comment on male patriarchy and women in society,” he told Wall Street Journal .
Below is everything we know so far about the Barbie film.
Who will direct, write, and produce?
Gerwig will direct the film, which she co-wrote with her partner and fellow filmmaker Noah Baumbach ( Marriage Story, Frances Ha ). Robbie will produce alongside LuckyChap’s Tom Ackerley and Mattel’s Robbie Brenner and David Heyman. LuckyChap’s Josey McNamara and Mattel’s Ynon Kreiz will also executive produce.
Who will star in Barbie ?
As mentioned above, the cast is stacked and will feature different variations of Barbie and Ken, with Robbie and Gosling playing the central pair. The other Barbies will be played by Issa Rae, Dua Lipa, Kate McKinnon, Nicola Coughlan, Alexandra Shipp, Hari Nef, Emma Mackey, Ana Cruz Kayne, Sharon Rooney, and Ritu Arya.
The hunky assortment of Kens will be played by Simu Liu, Kingsley Ben-Adir, Ncuti Gatwa, and Scott Evans. Will Ferrell is the CEO of a toy company, while Helen Mirren is the narrator. Other notable cast members include Michael Cera as Allan and Promising Young Woman director Emerald Fennell as Midge, as well as America Ferrera and Ariana Greenblatt, who are teased simply as “humans.”
Connor Swindells has been described “an intern or something,” while Jamie Demetriou will play a “suit.” Check out all the character posters below.
Simu Liu in ‘Barbie’
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Alexandra Shipp in ‘Barbie’
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Ritu Arya in ‘Barbie’
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Nicola Coughlan in ‘Barbie’
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Hari Nef in ‘Barbie’
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Kingsley Ben-Adir in ‘Barbie’
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Jamie Demetriou in ‘Barbie’
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Kate McKinnon in ‘Barbie’
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Emerald Fennell in ‘Barbie’
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Dua Lipa in ‘Barbie’
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Sharon Rooney in ‘Barbie’
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Arianna Greenblatt in ‘Barbie’
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Connor Swindells in ‘Barbie’
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Ana Cruz Kayne in ‘Barbie’
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Helen Mirren in ‘Barbie’
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Scott Evans in ‘Barbie’
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When will it debut in theaters?
Barbie and her pink convertible will cruise into theaters July 21, 2023.
Is there a trailer yet?
Yes! The first one borrows from Stanley Kubrick‘s 2001: A Space Odyssey
Weren’t there other versions in the works?
Yes. Barbie has been in development since 2014. (Really.) Amy Schumer was initially tapped to star as the title doll in 2016. That iteration, under Sony, was billed as a new feminist take on the famous ’50s Mattel doll. It would have centered on Barbie as she began to realize she didn’t fit into her perfect world of Barbie Land. After she’s kicked out, she finds herself in the real world in a fishout-of-water tale in the vein of Big and Enchanted . Schumer departed the project a year later, saying in an interview that it was due to “creative differences.”) Sony courted Anne Hathaway after Schumer’s exit, with delays occurring not too long after. Finally, in 2019, the film moved over to Warner Bros., where Gerwig took the helm. ‘
Emma Mackey in ‘Barbie’
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Will Ferrell in ‘Barbie’
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Ncuti Gatwa in ‘Barbie’
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America Ferrera in ‘Barbie’
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Deloris Jordan, for what he envisioned for her son.
In the flashes of the trailer, Vaccaro is seen trying to make Nike co-founder Phil Knight see the brand’s future with Jordan. Deloris, on the other hand, wants the world to take note of her outstandingly talented son.
The cast of Air
Damon plays Sonny Vaccaro while the role of Phil Knight is essayed by Affleck. Deloris Jordan is portrayed by Viola Davis. Other cast members include Jason Bateman as Rob Strasser, Chris Messina as David Falk, Marlon Wayans as George Raveling, Chris Tucker as Howard White, Matthew Maher as Peter Moore, Gustaf Skarsgård as Horst Dassler and Julius Tennon as James Jordan.
Why is Air highly anticipated?
Besides the Michael Jordan connection, Air is one of the most anticipated films of 2023 because of Ben Affleck and Matt Damon.
The longtime friends won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for writing Good Will Hunting (1997), a film in which they also shared the screen. The two actors recently reunited as co-stars for The Last Duel (2021), a Ridley Scott historical film whose script they wrote.
Affleck won his second Oscar when Argo (2012), a film he directed, won the Best Picture. On the other hand, Damon also has three Oscar nominations in acting categories and a nomination as a producer when his film Manchester by the Sea (2016) was in the running for Best Picture.
Air is the first film where Affleck is directing Damon. It is also the first film from the two friend’s production company, Artists Equity.
The film, Air, will premiere on 5 April in theatres and will later be streamed on Amazon Prime Video.
Deloris Jordan, for what he envisioned for her son.
In the flashes of the trailer, Vaccaro is seen trying to make Nike co-founder Phil Knight see the brand’s future with Jordan. Deloris, on the other hand, wants the world to take note of her outstandingly talented son.
The cast of Air
Damon plays Sonny Vaccaro while the role of Phil Knight is essayed by Affleck. Deloris Jordan is portrayed by Viola Davis. Other cast members include Jason Bateman as Rob Strasser, Chris Messina as David Falk, Marlon Wayans as George Raveling, Chris Tucker as Howard White, Matthew Maher as Peter Moore, Gustaf Skarsgård as Horst Dassler and Julius Tennon as James Jordan.
Why is Air highly anticipated?
Besides the Michael Jordan connection, Air is one of the most anticipated films of 2023 because of Ben Affleck and Matt Damon.
The longtime friends won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for writing Good Will Hunting (1997), a film in which they also shared the screen. The two actors recently reunited as co-stars for The Last Duel (2021), a Ridley Scott historical film whose script they wrote.
Affleck won his second Oscar when Argo (2012), a film he directed, won the Best Picture. On the other hand, Damon also has three Oscar nominations in acting categories and a nomination as a producer when his film Manchester by the Sea (2016) was in the running for Best Picture.
Air is the first film where Affleck is directing Damon. It is also the first film from the two friend’s production company, Artists Equity.
The film, Air, will premiere on 5 April in theatres and will later be streamed on Amazon Prime Video.
