After the massive success of “Barbie” last year, Margot Robbie‘s career has reached unprecedented heights. And that means the actress-producer has more cache in Hollywood than ever. So what does that mean for Robbie? IndieWire reports (via Variety) that Robbie eventually wants to add another hyphenate to her big screen talents: directing.
“The tricky thing is, as much as I say I’m strict about saying no as a producer, I also get so excited with all the things that I could produce that it ends up taking up all my time,” Robbie told Variety about her work through her banner, LuckyChap. “And as an actor, I get to work with so many brilliant directors and watch them do it — it’s like having a front-row seat to the best master class in the world. So it’s really tempting to keep doing that. But directing is a dear ambition of mine.”
LuckyChap already has success producing female directors, including Greta Gerwig on “Barbie” and Emerald Fennell‘s “Saltburn,” among others. So why not add Robbie to the list? “We have a penchant for actress-turned-writer-directors, between Olivia [Wilde], Greta, Emerald, and Megan [Park]. It’s our sweet spot,” Robbie continued. But the multi-hyphenate also stressed that LuckyChap needs to stay focused on what projects they back. “We have to be really clear about why we started the company and what our North Star is always going to be,” said the actress. “Because any opportunity is exciting. We set out to break barriers with and for female talent, and if it isn’t a project that could potentially do that, then it’s not a project for us.”
But what about Robbie’s upcoming projects? Directing something isn’t in the pipeline for her; at least not yet. Robbie will reunite with “Barbie” co-star and Kenergy bringer Ryan Gosling for a new “Ocean’s 11” prequel (not the “Ocean’s 14” script from George Clooney revealed last month). And on the producing side, LuckyChap backs Megan Park’s “My Old Ass,” which premieres at Sundance later this month.
But one thing LuckChap isn’t backing: a film adaptation of Britney Spears‘ memoir “The Woman In Me,” a story Page Six erroneously reported back in November. “It’s not true,” Robbie confirmed at the 2023 Variety Power Of Women Los Angeles event last year. But dispelling rumors is just part of the job for Robbie at this point. “I also read so much stuff that’s not true. ‘Margot Robbie’s doing that!’ And I’m like, ‘I’m 100 percent not and I’ve never even heard that,’” Robbie told Variety. “I know people do that just to whip up a buying frenzy. I mean, we should take it as a compliment.”
So stay tuned if/when Robbie decides to helm a feature of her own. But first, let’s see how “Barbie” does on the awards circuit this winter, especially its eyebrow-raising move to Best Adapted Screenplay for the Oscars.
