Margot Robbie Teases Her Approach to Playing Barbie
While it isn't set to hit theaters until next July, Margot Robbie's Barbie movie is already a major source of conversation and speculation. Inspired by the beloved and iconic toy, the film features an impressive cast but save for various photos of Robbie and Gosling in costume as Barbie and Ken, very few details have been released about the project. Now, however, Robbie is teasing her approach to playing the character. In a recent profile in the Wall Street Journal, Robbie reveals that she approached the character not as an animal, but an archetype.
According to the profile, Robbie chose "the child" archetype for Barbie, but didn't elaborate beyond that. She also noted that even small details about the film end up "blowing up into a headline" and went on to say that she feels the reason is that Barbie, like the film I, Tonya, is something that people have preconceptions about.
"That's why I, Tonya intrigued us so much—because people had such an immediate and strong reaction to the name 'Tonya Harding,'" Robbie said. "It's kind of amazing to begin at a place like that." Barbie will also be unconventional; McNamara says it will "subvert expectations."
Who is the cast and crew of the Barbie movie?
Barbie will be directed by Greta 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."
Barbie will be released exclusively in theaters on July 21, 2023.