Posted in: Movies, Warner Bros | Tagged: barbie, Warner Bros

Barbie Producer Says "There's a Real Hunger for Originality"

A producer of Barbie says that there is "a real hunger for originality," and the film appealed to audiences because it's "fun, thematically rich and very moving."

This summer featured the bright pink of the Barbie world and the blinding white and orange from the atomic bomb in Oppenheimer. It still seems a little amazing that these two films, which seem like they shouldn't have any crossover, became an awesome double event that excited everyone in the industry. It's officially October, so it's time for awards season to kick in. Critics will start seeing a million movies if they didn't get the chance to make it to the film festivals earlier in the year, and people will start the debate about what should be considered an awards contender and what shouldn't. It's going to be an interesting year. One aspect of Barbie that there is no denying that despite it being based on one of the most recognizable pieces of IP ever and filled with familiar costumes and sets, the film did something unexpected with its story. In some ways, it's still amazing that Mattel let this film happen. Barbie producer David Heyman and other team members were on stage at Deadline's Contender's London event over the weekend. Heyman says he believes the film's mass appeal comes down to its originality.

"One of the reasons the film has done so well is because it's original. There's a real hunger for originality. Greta Gerwig is a singular artist; she pushes the boundaries of what's possible in the most collaborative way. The film is fun, thematically rich, and very moving. It was challenging, of course, but when we made it, there was a spirit of fun that permeated the production. … When we were getting the film made, we thought about comps, but there were no comps for this film."

Barbie has hit streaming services this weekend, so if you were one of the few who didn't get the chance to check out the film over the summer, then you really don't have any excuse anymore. There were many moving pieces and things that needed to go right for Barbie to work, and if one thing hadn't landed, there was a good chance that this entire pink house of cards would have come tumbling down. However, it sounds like everyone in front of and behind the camera was committed to this vision and believed in what they were making, and that truly makes a difference. Barbie will likely be up for some Oscars, and if that isn't a surreal thing to say, then I don't know what is.

Barbie: Summary, Cast List, Release Date

To live in Barbie Land is to be a perfect being in a perfect place. Unless you have a full-on existential crisis. Or you're a Ken.

From Oscar-nominated writer/director Greta Gerwig (Little Women, Lady Bird) comes Barbie, starring Oscar-nominees Margot Robbie (Bombshell, I, Tonya) and Ryan Gosling (La La Land, Half Nelson) as Barbie and Ken, alongside America Ferrera (End of Watch, the How to Train Your Dragon films), Kate McKinnon (Bombshell, Yesterday), Michael Cera (Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, Juno), Ariana Greenblatt (Avengers: Infinity War, 65), Issa Rae (The Photograph, Insecure), Rhea Perlman (I'll See You in My Dreams, Matilda), and Will Ferrell (the Anchorman films, Talladega Nights). The film also stars Ana Cruz Kayne (Little Women), Emma Mackey (Emily, Sex Education), Hari Nef (Assassination Nation, Transparent), Alexandra Shipp (the X-Men films), Kingsley Ben-Adir (One Night in Miami, Peaky Blinders), Simu Liu (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings), Ncuti Gatwa (Sex Education), Scott Evans (Grace and Frankie), Jamie Demetriou (Cruella), Connor Swindells (Sex Education, Emma), Sharon Rooney (Dumbo, Jerk), Nicola Coughlan (Bridgerton, Derry Girls), Ritu Arya (The Umbrella Academy), Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter Dua Lipa and Oscar-winner Helen Mirren (The Queen). Gerwig directed Barbie from a screenplay by Gerwig & Oscar nominee Noah Baumbach (Marriage Story, The Squid and the Whale), based on Barbie by Mattel. The film's producers are Oscar nominee David Heyman (Marriage Story, Gravity), Robbie, Tom Ackerley, and Robbie Brenner, with Michael Sharp, Josey McNamara, Ynon Kreiz, Courtenay Valenti, Toby Emmerich, and Cate Adams serving as executive producers. The film will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures and released in theaters only nationwide on July 21, 2023, and beginning internationally on July 19, 2023.

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