Issa Rae and Michael Cera Cast in Margot Robbie’s Barbie Movie

Filmmaker Greta Gerwig has added Issa Rae and Michael Cera to the cast of her upcoming Barbie film, which stars Margot Robbie in the title role. The film, which is in production in the United Kingdom, also stars Ryan Gosling as Barbie’s love interest Ken, alongside America Ferrera, Simu Liu, Kate McKinnon, and Will Ferrell. The movie was written by Gerwig with her partner, Noah Baumbach, and Robbie has said that the hope is to deliver something unexpected. People first reported Rae and Cera’s casting. The Warner Bros. film is expected to be in theaters sometime in 2023.

“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.”

Barbie is based on the iconic and bestselling doll from Mattel, which has defined girls’ childhoods for decades. Of course, times have certainly changed – as have views on how young girls (and/or boys) are influenced in their formative years. Prior to the Gerwig/Robbie version, Mattel had been looking at a caustic, satirical take on the property which would have starred Amy Schumer in the title role. This version seems like it will scale back on the satire and embrace the bright, upbeat tone of the brand.

“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 when the film was announced. “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.”

Back in 2019, Robbie said that “I think it’s a great opportunity to put some positivity out into the world and a chance to be aspirational for younger kids.”