Barbie Director Greta Gerwig Talks Nostalgia vs. Consumerism (Exclusive)

Barbie is hitting theaters next week, and the movie doesn’t shy away from the doll’s complicated history. ComicBook.com recently had the chance to chat with director Greta Gerwig, who explained the importance of telling the positive and negative sides of Barbie. During the chat, the idea of nostalgia vs. consumerism came up, and we asked Gerwig what she thought about the movie potentially causing people to want to buy collectible Barbies or favorites from their youth. “What would Greta do?” we wondered, and her answer may surprise you…

“Oh, well, it’s interesting because I’ve actually talked to some people today who are collectors who like, ‘I have all the dolls and everything.’ I actually, as an adult, I’m not a collector,” Gerwig explained. “I feel like whatever gives you the most joy. If getting Totally Yo-Yo Nikki, if that is going to make you so happy, do it.” 

You can our interview with Gerwig in the video at the top of the page.

America Ferrera Reveals She Cried The First Day Filming Barbie:

ComicBook.com also had the chance to chat with America Ferrera, and she talked about how she’s glad she ended up cast as a human instead of a Barbie in the film. During the chat, we asked Ferrera if there were any moments from the film that transported her back to her childhood, and she revealed she cried on the first day of filming. 

“Let’s see. What I remember is walking in the first day of filming and it was like the first shot and it was Margot waking up in bed on her perfect day in her heart bed,” Ferrera explained. “And I looked at the screen and I just started to cry. It was just like, ‘I can’t believe that it’s this beautiful and that it’s this thoughtful and meaningful and we get this movie about a woman icon for women and it’s like the movie she deserves. It’s the movie we deserve.’”

Ferrera continued, “And there’s positives and negatives to her and there is room for all of it in the movie, but that we didn’t just get some low-budget, glossy, couple of bad, outdated jokes thing that moms would’ve taken their kids to see anyway.” She added, “The fact that this is the version we got where there are layers and layers and layers of artistry, and it’s like, ‘Of course, we deserve movies like this. Of course, our stories and the things we love and value deserve to be treated like this.’ And I’m just so grateful for Margot and for Greta for being the ones to shepherd it.”

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. 

Editor’s note: This interview was conducted prior to the SAG actors’ strike.