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MOVIE FEATURE

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Toy giant Mattel is set to bring more of its toylines to life now that Barbie is out of the box and smashing records. The movie landscape is about to look very different indeed, with some of the pictured toys currently being developed into live-action features.

Barbie is officially the highest-grossing film of 2023, having raked in more than US$1.43 billion at the global box office. Words Gill Pringle N ot only is Margot Robbie the eponymous star of this witty confection, but she and her husband, Tom Ackerley, an actress,” says Gerwig, who immediately became fascinated about how this film could evolve from the Barbie brand which we all think we know. “But then when we talked, I realised what an incredible producer she was. She was super smart, and extremely involved, and really interesting. “Margot is our Stereotypical Barbie,” also produced it. In a further genius stroke, the couple approached Oscar-nominated director writer Greta Gerwig to nurture their vision into being.

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Gerwig continues. “As she says in the film, ‘I'm the Barbie everyone thinks of when you think of Barbie.’ And when you think of the most beautiful, cheerful, friendly, blonde lady you’ve ever seen, that's Margot. But the thing I wanted to do most of all was to allow her to be outrageously funny. She’s the person

“Barbenheimer” opening weekend slam down, Barbie came out as the clear winner to become the highest-grossing film in Warner Bros.’ 100 year history, and also the highest-grossing film ever from a female filmmaker at the domestic box office. "Barbie is such a huge and

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Robbie agrees: “You’d think there are dozens of guys that could play Ken, but there’s actually not. Ryan ticked all the boxes. He’s a brilliant dramatic actor, he makes incredible choices, he can play the romantic and he can do comedy. And, of course, he also looks like Ken: he’s gorgeous.” With an all-star cast assembled – including America Ferrera, Kate McKinnon, Issa Rae, Rhea Perlman, Will Ferrell, Michael Cera, Ariana Greenblatt, Kingsley Ben-Adir, Simu Liu, Dua Lipa and Helen Mirren – Robbie was still nervous. “It was terrifying! We knew it was a lot to take on, as audiences probably have a preconceived notion of how they think and feel about Barbie, whether good or bad. So that presented a big challenge, but we were up for it,” says the actress – and she’s having the last laugh, having pulled off something many thought impossible.

you're going to go on a real journey within the movie. And because she's always able to make things grounded, relatable, and very emotional even when it's ridiculously heightened and funny, you never feel like you lose the humanity.” Gerwig further attests that she immediately began envisioning Ryan Gosling as the perfect Ken to Robbie’s Barbie. “We wrote this part specifically for Ryan,” she says. ”Even though he's so wonderful in dramatic roles, I knew he was really funny. There was no plan B. It was always Ryan.”

globally recognised brand, with so much nostalgic connection for people,” says Robbie, 33. “Making a Barbie movie was an amazing opportunity, one we thought we could do something really special with if we could approach it in an unexpected, surprising, and clever way.” Having acquired the rights to Mattel’s Barbie, Robbie knew she was in safe hands as she passed the reins to Gerwig and her writer-director partner Noah Baumbach.

• Barbie is out Nov 8

“Margot had spearheaded this whole project, and I was a big fan of hers as

NOVEMBER 2023

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