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Here’s A First Look At Ryan Gosling As Ken In Greta Gerwig’s Barbie Biopic
Here’s a recap of everything we know so far about the Barbie movie.
Jaap Buitendijk
The headlines:
Who is in the cast of the Barbie movie?
Margot Robbie will star in the titular role, with Ryan Gosling confirmed to play Barbie’s boyfriend, Ken. Other notable actors joining the LuckyChap Entertainment production are Kate McKinnon, America Ferrera, and Oscar-winner Emerald Fennell. Perhaps most intriguingly, Sex Education’s Emma Mackey has also signed on to appear alongside Netflix co-star Ncuti Gatwa in a yet-to-be-revealed role – with rumours that the Robbie doppelgänger could be playing one of Barbie’s three younger sisters, Skipper, Chelsea, and Stacie.
What’s the plot of the Barbie movie?
The film will centre on a doll living in Barbieland, who’s forced to leave due to her so-called imperfections – setting off on an adventure in the real world and discovering along the way that perfection can only truly be found within. If that sounds painfully clichéd, it’s worth noting that feminist auteur Greta Gerwig (Lady Bird) is both writing and directing the movie, with input from her partner Noah Baumbach (Marriage Story).
When will the Barbie movie be released?
Warner Bros Pictures confirmed at CinemaCon 2022 in Las Vegas that the film will hit cinemas on 21 July 2023.
Is there a trailer for the Barbie movie?
Not yet, but Netflix has released some initial stills of both Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling in character as Barbie and Ken.
The details:
According to Margot Robbie, the film will take past criticisms of Barbie – and her own casting in the biopic’s lead role – into account.
In her cover interview for British Vogue’s August 2021 issue, Robbie admitted that creating a live-action Barbie film “comes with a lot of baggage” as well as “a lot of nostalgic connections”. “But with that come[s] a lot of exciting ways to attack it. People generally hear ‘Barbie’ and think, ‘I know what that movie is going to be,’ and then they hear that Greta Gerwig is writing and directing it, and they’re like, ‘Oh, well, maybe I don’t…’” It’s no secret that the franchise’s lack of diversity has historically proved controversial, too – and is something that Gerwig will need to tackle head-on in the film.
Robbie actually took over the role from another famous blonde: Amy Schumer.
The Oscar host later dropped out of the project due to conflicts about the nature of the film. “They definitely didn’t want to do it the way I wanted to do it, the only way I was interested in doing it,” Schumer told The Hollywood Reporter – noting that, when she tried to make Barbie an inventor in her script, she got told to make her an inventor… of Jell-O stilettos. Another red flag: the fact that she got sent a pair of Manolo Blahnik heels to celebrate landing the role. “The idea that that’s just what every woman must want, right there, I should have gone, ‘You’ve got the wrong gal.’”
Barbie is actually one of two Mattel icons set to get the Hollywood treatment in the near future.
Emily in Paris’s Lily Collins is set to play Polly Pocket in a feature-length movie about the ’90s toy directed by Lena Dunham. “I’m so thrilled to bring to bear both my love of this historic property and also my deep-seated belief that young women need smart, playful films that speak to them without condescension,” the Girls creator shared with Variety. As for Collins? “As a child who was obsessed with Polly Pockets, it’s a real dream come true to announce this project!” she wrote alongside a photograph of herself as a little girl on Instagram. “Truly so excited to be coming on as both a producer and Polly herself! Can’t wait to dive into this pastel world…”