Barbie Director Greta Gerwig Didn’t Originally Tell Parnter Noah Baumbach She Signed Him Up To Co-Write Film

The highly-anticipated Barbie movie is heading into theaters this month, and it will mark the third feature film directed by Greta Gerwig after Lady Bird and Little Women. Gerwig also penned the script alongside her real-life partner, Noah Baumbach, who is best known for writing and directing films such as Marriage Story and The Squid and the Whale. Gerwig and Baumbach have been a couple since 2011 and they have collaborated on multiple projects over the years. According to a recent interview with The Guardian, Gerwig didn’t initially tell Baumbach that she signed him up to co-write Barbie. 

“He was like, ‘Did you sign us up to write a Barbie movie?’ And I was like, ‘Yes, Noah, get excited!’” Gerwig revealed. She explained that the couple worked on the script together during the pandemic, saying, “There was this sense of wanting to make something anarchic and wild and completely bananas … because it felt, like, ‘Well, if we ever do get to go back to cinemas again, let’s do something totally unhinged.’” 

“I love working with Noah,” Gerwig shared. “He’s my favorite person to work with. His opinion matters the most to me. I love making him laugh. It’s the best feeling. When he watches a cut and something makes him really laugh, I’m, like, ‘Got it!’ Because I would say I’m a much cheaper laugh than he is. He holds off until it really gets him. So, you know, it’s satisfying when you crack him.” She added, “But I’m an extrovert, he’s an introvert. I fling myself at life, he kind of… takes his time. You know, underneath it all, we both just love movies and art.”

What Is Barbie About?

In Barbie, 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. From Oscar-nominated writer/director Greta Gerwig comes Barbie, which hits theaters on July 21st. Barbie stars Oscar-nominees Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling as Barbie and Ken, alongside America Ferrera, Kate McKinnon, Michael Cera, Ariana Greenblatt, Issa Rae, Rhea Perlman, and Will Ferrell. The film also stars Ana Cruz Kayne, Emma Mackey, Hari Nef, Alexandra Shipp, Kingsley Ben-Adir, Simu Liu, Ncuti Gatwa, Scott Evans, Jamie Demetriou, Connor Swindells, Sharon Rooney, Nicola Coughlan, Ritu Arya, Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter Dua Lipa and Oscar-winner Helen Mirren. Gerwig directed Barbie from a screenplay by Gerwig & Oscar nominee Noah Baumbach, based on Barbie by Mattel.