Barbie Director Greta Gerwig Praises Star Margot Robbie

Of all the 2023 movies scheduled for a theatrical release, none have already dominated the conversation quite like Barbie. The live-action film, which is inspired by the iconic toy line, has already caught a lot of attention from its various set photos and videos, which have showcases stars like Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling in costume as Barbie and Ken. While some elements of the Barbie movie still remain a mystery, its cast and crew have teased that it is unlike anything that fans are expecting — and director and co-writer Greta Gerwig recently offered her own specific praise. In a recent profile with the Wall Street Journal, Gerwig spoke about Robbie’s work as both a producer and star of the film.

“She is an actor who comes armed with every piece of preparation and every possibility explored,” Gerwig revealed. She went on to call Robbie “fully present as a producer,” but was also “amazed by [Robbie’s] ability to fully give over to being an actor” at the same time.

“Once they back a project, they back it all the way,” Gerwig said of Robbie’s LuckyChap banner, which is producing Barbie. “Margot has a flash of certainty and then runs at it,” Gerwig says. “She doesn’t have a waffling aspect to her psyche.” 

Who is the cast and crew of the Barbie movie?

Barbie will be directed by Gerwig, with a script from Gerwig and Noah Baumbach. Robbie, who had been rumored to be attached to the project since 2018, will also be producing the project through her LuckyChap banner. The cast of the project also includes America Ferrera (Superstore), Kate McKinnon (Saturday Night Live), Simu Liu (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings), Ncuti Gatwa (Doctor Who, Sex Education) Alexandra Shipp (tick, tick, …Boom!), Will Ferrell (Anchorman), Issa Rae (Insecure), Michael Cera (Superbad), and Ariana Greenblatt (Avengers: Infinity War).

“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 at the time. “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.”

“Playing with Barbie promotes confidence, curiosity and communication throughout a child’s journey to self-discovery,” Robbie said in a press release at the time of the announcement. “Over the brand’s almost 60 years, Barbie has empowered kids to imagine themselves in aspirational roles from a princess to president.”

Are you excited for Warner Bros.’ Barbie movie? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

Barbie will be released exclusively in theaters on July 21, 2023.