Margot Robbie has seriously been on a roll with her pick of roles in the last few years. Audiences love her Harley Quinn of course and her turn as Olympic ice-skater Tonya Harding in I, Tonya was unforgettable. As the new year arrives, there’s still a ton to look forward to from the actress. Following her refreshing projects (most of which she also produces as well) one I’m curious about is what her take on Barbie will be. Yes, she’s still on board to play the plastic icon in the near future.
What really has me excited about the Barbie movie already is the writers Margot Robbie and her production company chose to pen the Mattel Film. Little Women and Lady Bird filmmaker Greta Gerwig are pairing with her partner Noah Baumbach, the guy behind the Oscar-winning Marriage Story, are taking on the toy property with Robbie leading the film. So, what even is this movie? Here’s how the Birds of Prey star recently described it:
We like the things that feel a little left of center. Something like Barbie where the IP, the name itself, people immediately have an idea of, ‘Oh, Margot is playing Barbie, I know what that is,’ but our goal is to be like, ‘Whatever you're thinking, we're going to give you something totally different — the thing you didn't know you wanted.’
Alright, I’ll admit it, I’m in. Margot Robbie has really delivered as of late and the idea of her being behind the scenes with some seriously impressive filmmakers providing the central voice of the project makes for one exciting package. Barbie is just a blonde plastic doll on the surface, but provided the filmmaking team has a distinct vision it could be something great. Robbie’s producing partner Josey McNamara also said this to THR on behalf of their company LuckyChap Entertainment:
And then Barbie, which is kind of our Everest. As Margot said, you think you know what that movie is with Margot as Barbie, but Greta and Noah have subverted it, and we can't wait to get into that one.
The trio of producers that also includes Robbie’s husband Tom Ackerley most recently made Promising Young Woman, which CinemaBlend’s own Eric Eisenberg has named the best movie of 2020. They have a number of projects on their plate, including a movie called Maid, but Barbie is apparently their “Everest.” The Barbie name is obviously a huge brand name for the producers to be adapting and it sounds like the iconic doll will be getting special treatment in live-action.
Margot Robbie has been attached to playing Barbie since late 2018 after the project had previously been sculpted into different forms. Originally Amy Schumer was going to take on the lead as an “imperfect” Barbie who was exiled from Barbieland before she dropped out due to “scheduling conflicts” and Anne Hathaway was recast. When Mattel Films formed, the old Barbie plans were scrapped so the company could be behind its own project.
Margot Robbie wouldn’t disclose the plot for Barbie, but has previously said she aims for it to promote “curiosity and communication throughout a child's journey to self-discovery." We’ll keep you updated here on CinemaBlend with what’s next for Margot Robbie in 2021 and years to come.
