Greta Gerwig‘s “Barbie” hits theaters on July 21, and it’s one of the year’s most anticipated films. And teasers and trailers for the film still have moviegoers mystified over what exactly Gerwig is up to in her follow-up to 2019’s “Little Women.” Exactly what kind of comedy will “Barbie” be?
Gerwig isn’t telling, nor is the film’s star Margot Robbie, but Deadline reports the actress did tease how she felt after first reading the script. “The first time I read the “Barbie” script, my reaction was, ‘Ah! This is so good. What a shame it will never see the light of day,” Robbie told BAFTA. “Because they are never going to let us make this movie.” Robbie didn’t extrapolate on those comments, but suffice it to say that Gerwig may be up to something a little riskier with “Barbie” than the trailers disclose.
For her part, Gerwig has said that co-writing the film’s script with her partner Noah Baumbach was “terrifying.” Gerwig talked about her creative process on “Barbie” when she stopped by Dua Lipa‘s “At Your Service” podcast last November. “It was terrifying. I think there’s something about starting from that place where it’s like, ‘Well, anything is possible,’” Gerwig said on the podcast. “It felt like vertigo starting to write it. Like, where do you even begin? What would be the story? Usually, that’s where the best stuff is. When you’re like, ‘I am terrified of that.’ Anything where you’re like, ‘This could be a career-ender,’ then you’re like, ‘OK, I probably should do it.’”
Again with the vague yet cryptic comments about the movie: is “Barbie” indeed a “career-ender” like Gerwig suggests? Probably not, but her and Robbie’s remarks about the film propose that this movie may be more daring than audiences realize. But isn’t it already a bit daring to make an $100 million blockbuster centered on a famous fashion doll?
“Barbie” also stars Ryan Gosling as Ken opposite Robbie. Other cast members include America Ferrera, Kate McKinnon, Simu Liu, Will Ferrell, Emma Mackey, Issa Rae, Michael Cera, Kingsley Ben-Adir, Rhea Perlman, Ncuti Gatwa, and more.
So will “Barbie” be 2023’s movie of the summer? Only a little longer until audiences find out: the film hits theaters everywhere on July 21. Watch Robbie talk to BAFTA about the film below.
