Barbie: One Surprising Moment Was Practical, Not CGI

The hype for Barbie doesn’t seem to be slowing down, with the must-see film earning an ever-impressive gross at the worldwide box office and sparking a lot of conversation. One of the most-heralded elements of the movie might be its approach to practical effects, which bring Barbieland to life in a stunning degree, while still managing to stay true to the doll’s iconic aesthetic. As a new interview with The New York Times‘ Kyle Buchanan reveals, those elements manifested in an epic way in the film’s opening sequence. As production designer Sarah Greenwood explained, the 2001: A Space Odyssey-inspired opening sequence, which shows young girls having a visceral reaction to Stereotypical Barbie’s (Margot Robbie) arrival, utilized practical effects to show Barbie’s legs.

“They’re real — we scaled up Margot’s legs and made them,” Greenwood revealed. “They were physically on that set so the little girls could come in and touch them.”

Why Does Barbie Reference the Snyder Cut?

2001: A Space Odyssey isn’t the only film acknowledged in Barbie, with the film containing a hilarious scene involving The Godfather, and even a reference to the “Snyder Cut” of Justice League.

“I didn’t even really realize that,” director Greta Gerwig told ComicBook.com when asked about antagonizing such a forceful group of fans. “I didn’t even… Because I don’t have a dog in this fight, I didn’t even really know, I knew it was a thing. I don’t know the contours of all the ins and outs. But it’s the kind of thing that I vaguely know. But I think that was the thing, that it was like if [Writer Barbie] had a vague knowledge of, and then all of a sudden in a certain state, it really meant a lot to her, and then it went away.” 

Will Barbie Get a Sequel?

As Gerwig revealed in the same interview, she does not currently have an idea in her mind for a Barbie sequel.

“At this moment, it’s all I’ve got,” Gerwig revealed. “I feel like that at the end of every movie, like I’ll never have another idea and everything I’ve ever wanted to do, I did. I wouldn’t want to squash anybody else’s dream but for me, at this moment, I’m at totally zero.”

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 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.