I'm a Barbie girl the Barbie world.
In case you've missed it, Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling are playing Barbie and Ken in the upcoming Barbie. Pictures released from shooting on set, have piqued everyone’s curiosity.
The aesthetic of the on-set pics is one of bright neon colors (A LOT of pinks), platinum blonde, and 80’s inspired looks. It’s soooo extra and we love it. Despite the buzz these pics have elicited, little is known about the film, and no one knows quite what to expect. Despite the fun, exuberant, and light theme presented to us, we feel the movie will convey something a little bit different. So let’s go through what little we do know about this much-anticipated film which is only set to be released in July of 2023.
Over the years, Barbie has had its fair share of criticism, from promoting an unattainable beauty standard to perpetuating antiquated gender stereotypes. However, the movie is directed by Greta Gerwig, who is also responsible for Lady Bird (2017) and Pretty Women (2019). She is known for her feminist and progressive storytelling, so we find it highly unlikely that this movie will be a depiction and embodiment of all that is problematic with Barbie. Quite the opposite, we assume that this will be a subversive, fresh, and maybe even satirical new take on the most famous blonde doll. A leaked on-set video of Gosling’s high-pitched Ken scream, also seemingly corroborates this theory. Gerwig also co-wrote the movie with Noah Baumbach, the director of the critically acclaimed Marriage Story (2019), so expectations are high.
IMDB describes the movie as “a live-action film based on the popular ‘Barbie’ franchise”, which really doesn't give us much. Various sources have commented that IMDB has unofficially stated that Barbie is about “A doll living in 'Barbieland' who is expelled for not being perfect enough and sets off on an adventure in the real world”.
Additionally, the movie is described as having an ensemble cast, with other actors depicting other, more diverse versions of Barbie and Ken: Simu Liu, Ncuti Gatwa, Issa Rae, and Hari Nef. America Ferrera, Kate McKinnon, and Will Ferrell are also on the cast list, but it is unknown what roles they will play (although, according to online speculation, Will Farrel plays the villainous CEO of the toy company Barbie and Ken belong to).
We also know that there is an incredible amount of hype for this film, and we really hope it lives up to its expectations.
As filming is still in progress, it will probably be some time before we get a trailer, but we can’t wait!
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