Come on Barbie, let’s go party! The Mattel doll is getting her Hollywood moment, only with an indie slant, given the news that Greta Gerwig is not only behind the script, but is set to direct the feature-length too.
Margot Robbie is slated to take on the (plastic) lead role and, in a recent interview with British Vogue, was asked about the nature of playing the toy with a controversial past. “Right, it comes with a lot of baggage!” she said. “And a lot of nostalgic connections. But with that come a lot of exciting ways to attack it.”
Robbie continued: “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 was previously revealed that Gerwig was working with Noah Baumbach on the script. The pair have worked on indie film favourites together before, including Mistress America, Frances Ha, and Greenberg.
The film is being produced by Robbie’s company LuckyChap Entertainment, which is also working on a film adaptation of Ottessa Moshfegh’s novel My Year of Rest and Relaxation.
Barbie is set to start filming in 2022, and is slated for release by Warner Bros in 2023.