Barbie Star Margot Robbie Makes a Shocking Reveal About Her Barbie Fandom (Exclusive)
The Barbie movie is just about to debut, bringing to life a star-studded ode to the iconic Mattel toy. The idea of such a big blockbuster take on Barbie has been in the works for quite some time, but eventually came to fruition with the help of star and producer Margot Robbie. While many have already begun to associate Robbie with Barbie in some way, it sounds like her history with the doll isn't necessarily prolific. As Robbie explained in a recent interview with ComicBook.com's Jamie Jirak, she doesn't have any photos of herself with Barbies as a kid, but loves seeing the photos from fans who do.
"I called my mom before this press tour, and I was like, 'Are there any pictures of me, like with Barbie, playing with Barbie, opening a Barbie on Christmas or anything?' And she was like, 'I couldn't get you to wear a dress!' And I was like, 'That's not helpful.' So I don't have a photo like that, but I love how many people have shown me things like that."
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 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.