The countdown is officially on for the Barbie movie, as the film’s marketing and countless tie-in products have teased the unconventional story that it is store. Barbie‘s ensemble cast includes a number of notable names, including Ryan Gosling as the film’s main version of Ken. While some, including Gosling himself, initially couldn’t picture the actor in the role, his portrayal has already seemed to be a hit. In a new interview with Rolling Stone, Barbie director Greta Gerwig revealed how persistent she and star-producer Margot Robbie were to cast Gosling in the role, to the point where they did not have another actor in mind.
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“It was only ever Ryan Gosling,” Gerwig explained. “Margot and I wouldn’t take no for an answer.”
Why Did Ryan Gosling Join Barbie?
Gosling has openly praised Gerwig and Robbie’s pitch for the Barbie movie, calling the script the best he has ever read. The actor has also teased the impact that he hopes the film will have.
“This has been coming my whole life,” Gosling told Variety back in 2022. “I think a lot of Kens will feel seen when they see this. Gotta do it for the Kens of the world. Nobody plays with Kens!”
How Many Mattel Movies Are in the Works?
According to recent reporting from The New Yorker, there are a total of 45 Mattel-related movies in the process of getting made, including (but not limited to) Barney, Hot Wheels, Polly Pocket, and He-Man. Other projects that have been announced to be in development over the years include American Girl, Big Jim, Chatty Cathy and Betsy Wetsy, Magic 8 Ball, Matchbox, Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots, Thomas & Friends, Uno, View-Master, and Wishbone.
“Barbie is one of the most iconic franchises in the world and we are excited to partner with Warner Bros. Pictures and Margot Robbie to bring her to life on the big screen,” Ynon Kreiz, Chairman and CEO of Mattel, said in a statement when the film took shape. “We look forward to building on this collaboration with Warner Bros. Pictures as we tell the stories of our beloved brands. Mattel Films is on a path to demonstrate the enormous potential of our brand portfolio, as we continue to execute on our strategy of transforming Mattel into an IP-driven, high performing toy company.”
What Is the Barbie Movie 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.
