Barbie: Mattel CEO Says “We Didn’t Make This Movie to Sell More Toys”

Barbie is easily the biggest movie of this year, balancing the societal reputation of the iconic Mattel doll with a witty and entertaining script. The Warner Bros. film has officially become the highest-grossing new movie released in 2023, and has already had positive effects on Mattel itself — but apparently, that was not the company’s biggest priority with crafting the film. In a recent interview with Semafor, Mattel CEO Ynon Kreiz spoke about Barbie‘s surprise success, and argued that the film’s goal was not to boost the sales of Barbie toys. Instead, the company apparently hopes to adapt its growing roster of Mattel-inspired movies with significant creators, like Barbie director and co-writer Greta Gerwig.

“We didn’t make this movie to sell more toys,” Kreiz revealed. “It was about creating quality content that people want to watch. If people watch our content, and connect with it, good things will happen. We are collaborating with the best people out there and they run with the ball. It’s one thing for us to say, ‘we will make the next Hot Wheels movie.’ It’s another thing to say, ‘J.J. Abrams will make the next Hot Wheels movie.’”

When asked about some of the more controversial elements of Barbie — like Stereotypical Barbie (Margot Robbie) being called a fascist, and the CEO of Mattel (Will Ferrell) being portrayed in a campier light — Kreiz said that the focus was on Gerwig’s creative vision.

“We were very much part of the entire process but we gave Greta full creative freedom because she deserves it,” Kreiz added. “We trusted that she would turn it into something that resonates with people.”

“Embrace self-deprecation,” Kreiz explained. “It wasn’t just about bashing Mattel; it was part of this great narrative and interpretation of Barbie’s universe.”

How Many Mattel Movies Are In the Works?

According to a new report 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 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 hit 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.