Two cars that have made a significant impact on the zeitgeist are Barbie’s signature pink Corvette and the Batmobile. Upon first glance these two vehicles have literally nothing else in common, I actually think you couldn’t find two cars that are more different. However, when it comes to Greta Gerwig’s pink Barbie Corvette and Matt Reeves’ Batmobile for Robert Pattison’s The Batman they actually have one major similarity because they were designed by the same people. Now, the director of the Barbie movie is opening up about how the cars’ designers felt about going from the dark world of Gotham to candy-colored Barbie Land.
Seeing as Barbie’s Corvette is heavily featured in the Barbie trailer, Gerwig discussed the bright pink vehicle while on stage at CinemaCon. During the panel, the director commented on the designers who were hired for the movie, saying that coming off of The Batman they were “psyched” to work on a completely different, extremely bright car. She explained:
And also the cars that they made–the Barbie cars –it was so touching because actually all of the people who made the action vehicles had just finished making like the Batmobile and then they were so psyched to get that pink paint out. We’re gonna top the Batmobile. I was like, ‘Let’s do it.’
And they sure did it! I would have never guessed that the same people behind Barbie’s iconic car also designed the Batmobile, talk about range. However, the quality of the cars, and the detail involved with creating the fictional vehicles feels similar, and I’m overjoyed that the designers were so excited to “get that pink paint out.”
One of The Batman’s production designers (who didn't work on Barbie) James Chinlund is one of the masterminds behind Robert Pattinson’s Batmobile. He explained to Collider that the iconic car was one of the first things designed for Matt Reeves’ movie. Like Barbie, those “tactile” elements were vital to the DC movie. Also, in the behind-the-scenes facts revealed about The Batman, it was explained that there were actually four Batmobiles created for the iconic car chase, which you can watch for yourself with an HBO Max subscription. So, clearly, they cared about having versatile cars on set, and it seems like that mentality was also brought over to Gerwig's movie with Joe Howard having worked on both the DC and Mattel sets.
So, details were everything on The Batman, and as Gerwig explained, the same was true for her film on the 2023 movie schedule. She went on to talk about how she felt when she saw Barbie Land for the first time, saying:
The first time. I mean honestly, I cried when I stepped onto the set for the first time. They had made life-sized Barbie houses, with a slide going down into a pool. There was a decal. I mean, everything was extraordinary. The whole thing was incredibly moving.
For both movies (and likely Reeves' sequel The Batman: Part II), it’s abundantly clear how vital production design is in the story. They both recreate fictional worlds that people have dreamed of for years, and it’s important to them and the fans to get these visions right. Gerwig touched on this idea too, saying:
There was such genuine emotion put into every object and that was so important to me. Barbie is –if anything – so tactile and something you touch and play with. So much of what we did practically was down to the incredible people.
Based on both what we’ve seen of Barbie as well as what we know about The Batman, especially the Batmobile, it seems like a guarantee that we’ll be in for a treat when we’re transported to Barbie Land on July 21. From the cars to the costumes to the sets it really does feel like a dream world, and we have the designers of the Batmobile to partially thank for that.
