The live-action “Barbie” film has gone through a variety of different iterations in recent years. After Amy Schumer attempted to bring the film to theaters two years ago before it fell apart, Anne Hathaway took a stab at the plastic doll franchise. Ultimately, Hathaway’s version of the film fell apart, as well. Now, backing up reports from October, it’s official – Margot Robbie has stepped into the lead role in the “Barbie” film and it actually appears that the film is moving forward, finally.
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Variety is reporting that Warner Bros. has teamed up with Mattel, makers of the doll in question, and Margot Robbie’s LuckyChap Entertainment to bring “Barbie” to the big screen, with Robbie playing the titular character. There’s still no word on what a “Barbie” film might look like, as far as the plot goes, but given the fact that it’s 2019 and there’s an Academy Award nominee starring, we have to guess this is bigger than just your run-of-the-mill comedy cash grab. There is probably going to be a fair amount of social relevancy and not just the story of a blonde girl trying to woo a blonde boy with a pink car and a pink house.
Toby Emmerich, chairman of Warner Bros. Pictures Group, said, “This project is a great start to our partnership with Ynon and Mattel Films. And Margot is the ideal producer and actress to bring Barbie to life on screen in a fresh and relevant way for today’s audiences.”
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“Playing with Barbie promotes confidence, curiosity and communication throughout a child’s journey to self-discovery. Over the brand’s almost 60 years, Barbie has empowered kids to imagine themselves in aspirational roles from a princess to president,” Robbie said. “I’m so honored to take on this role and produce a film that I believe will have a tremendously positive impact on children and audiences worldwide. I can’t imagine better partners than Warner Bros and Mattel to bring this film to the big screen.”
There’s no word on a release date, as of yet. Robbie is about to begin work on her highly-anticipated superhero team-up film, “Birds of Prey,” which is scheduled to be released in February 2020. It’s likely that “Barbie” will begin filming sometime later this year.