Anne Hathaway Eyes Live Action ‘Barbie’ Movie

Come hell or high water, Sony is determined to have a live action “Barbie” movie in cinemas on June 29, 2018. The reason is as transparent and bland as you’d expect: money. When original star Amy Schumer left the picture over “scheduling conflicts,” the project put Sony in a bind because Mattel has a whole new product line readied for roll-out, with other licensing and promotional deals likely mapped out. However, the studio may have an A-list star to swoop in and save the picture that’s ten months away from release.

Anne Hathaway is in negotiations to take over the starring role. Presumably with such a tight deadline, everyone involved will be keeping the same script, which is said to be in the vein of “Big,” “Enchanted,” and “Splash,” and follows a woman who wakes up in a land of Barbies, realizes she doesn’t fit in, and goes to the real world where she discovers the best thing she can be is herself. Alethea Jones (“Fun Mom Dinner“) is in talks to direct. This all sounds like wholesome stuff, but Hathaway isn’t a lock just yet.

READ MORE: Anne Hathaway Discovers The Monster Hiding In Plain Sight In The Clever ‘Colossal’ [TIFF Review]

Scheduling will be the main issue in determining whether or not she signs on. Hathaway recently signed up to star in the sci-fi “02,” which is slated to shoot this fall. The low budget, “Gravity“-esque thriller, follows a woman who wakes up inside a cryogenic chamber with no memory of how she got there, and has to escape, before she runs out of air. However, that film doesn’t have a director yet, and frankly sounds a bit dumb, so I’d presume Hathaway would rather pivot to “Barbie.”

We’re sure Sony will move mountains to get “Barbie” going as fast as possible, because that’s the kind of money they can’t leave on the table. [The Ankler/THR/Deadline]