Barbie (film)

• 1. Development History And Production

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  The concept of a live-action Barbie film first emerged in the mid-1980s at Cannon Films, but nothing came to fruition. Renewed development began in September 2009 when Mattel signed a partnership with Universal Pictures and producer Laurence Mark. Sony Pictures acquired the film rights in April 2014, bringing Jenny Bicks on board to write the screenplay. The project saw multiple writer changes over the years, including Diablo Cody in March 2015 and later drafts by Lindsey Beer, Bert V. Royal, and Hillary Winston. Amy Schumer entered negotiations for the title role in December 2016, helping rewrite the script with her sister Kim Caramele. She exited negotiations in March 2017 due to scheduling conflicts and creative differences. Anne Hathaway was considered for the role that July, with Alethea Jones attached as director by March 2018. In August 2018, Mattel CEO Ynon Kreiz hired Robbie Brenner as head of Mattel Films. Sony's option expired in October 2018, transferring rights to Warner Bros. Pictures. Margot Robbie entered early talks for the role after Patty Jenkins was briefly considered. Kreiz met with Robbie at the Polo Lounge located in The Beverly Hills Hotel and felt her appearance resembled a conventional Barbie doll. Her casting was confirmed in July 2019. Greta Gerwig joined as director and co-writer with Noah Baumbach in July 2021. Principal photography occurred from March to July 2022 primarily at Warner Bros. Studios, Leavesden, England, and at the Venice Beach Skatepark in Los Angeles.

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• 2. Narrative Structure And Plot Summary

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  A stereotypical Barbie and fellow dolls reside in Barbieland, a matriarchal society populated by different versions of Barbie, Ken, and discontinued models treated like outcasts. While Kens spend their days playing at the beach considering it their profession, Barbies hold prestigious jobs in law, science, and politics. One evening at a dance party, Barbie is suddenly stricken with worries about mortality. Overnight she develops bad breath, cellulite, and flat feet, disrupting routines and impairing the aura of classic perfection. Weird Barbie tells her to find the child playing with her in the real world to cure her afflictions. Barbie travels to the real world with Beach Ken stowing away in her convertible. After arriving in Venice Beach, Barbie punches a man for groping her and gets briefly arrested. She and Ken are both arrested after not paying for new clothes. The CEO of Mattel orders their recapture. Barbie tracks down her owner, a teenage girl named Sasha, who criticizes Barbie for encouraging unrealistic beauty standards. Gloria, a Mattel employee and Sasha's mother, inadvertently caused Barbie's existential crisis after starting to play with Sasha's old Barbie dolls and drawing them with dark emotions. Mattel finds Barbie and attempts to put her in a toy box for remanufacturing. She escapes with help from an elderly woman named Ruth. Gloria and Sasha arrive just in time to rescue Barbie from Mattel executives. Meanwhile, Ken learns about patriarchy and feels respected for the first time. He returns to Barbieland to persuade other Kens to take it over. Kens begin indoctrinating Barbies into submissive roles like agreeable girlfriends, housewives, and maids. Barbie arrives and attempts to convince Barbies to be independent again but becomes depressed when she fails. Gloria expresses frustration with conflicting standards women face in the real world, restoring Barbie's confidence. With assistance from Sasha, Weird Barbie, Allan, and discontinued dolls, Gloria uses knowledge from the real world to deprogram Barbies. Barbies manipulate Kens into fighting among themselves, distracting them from enshrining male superiority. Having experienced systemic oppression, Barbies resolve to rectify faults emphasizing better treatment of Kens and outcasts. Barbie meets spirit of Ruth Handler explaining that Barbie's story has no set ending. Barbie decides to become human again and return to the real world. Sometime later, Gloria takes Barbie to her first gynecologist appointment.

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• 3. Visual Design And Aesthetic Choices

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  Set designers Sarah Greenwood and Katie Spencer drew inspiration from mid-century modernist architecture found in Palm Springs including the 1946 Kaufmann Desert House by Richard Neutra. Gerwig wanted to capture what was so ridiculously fun about Dreamhouses referencing Pee-wee's Big Adventure and paintings by Wayne Thiebaud. Everything needed to be tactile because toys are things you touch according to Gerwig. The set design featured extensive use of Pantone 219 pink. Rosco Laboratories faced international shortages due to COVID-19 supply chain issues and freezing temperatures damaging stock. The film required the company's entire remaining stock of pink paint. Practical miniatures were built scanned and captured with photogrammetry inspiring creation of hundreds of digital miniatures. Color palette for Barbieland scenes inspired by classic three-strip Technicolor look named TechnoBarbie. This required software called PPL separating image into blue green and red components manipulated individually. Costume designer Jacqueline Durran created costumes made of roughly fifteen color combinations riffing off French Riviera beach early 1960s style drawing inspiration from Brigitte Bardot. Ken outfits composed colorful sportswear from 1980s while Ryan Gosling suggested Ken-branded underwear. Durran adapted outfits from past Barbie dolls like 1993 Western Stampin dolls and 1994 Hot Skatin dolls. While majority clothing sourced by Durran team pulled pieces from fashion archives of Chanel. Ivana Primorac served as lead hair and makeup artist winning Make-Up Artists and Hair Stylists Guild Award in 2024.

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• 4. Marketing Campaign And Cultural Impact

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  Mattel entered partnerships with brands including Airbnb Aldo Group Bloomingdale's Burger King Brazil Chi Haircare Forever 21 Gap Inc. Hot Topic Krispy Kreme Philippines MINISO Primark Progressive Insurance Spirit Halloween and Ulta. Warner Bros. spent $150 million promoting Barbie exceeding the $145 million production budget. First-look image revealed during Warner Bros. presentation at CinemaCon in April 2022 showed Margot Robbie behind wheel of iconic pink 1956 Chevrolet Corvette. Second still featuring Ryan Gosling released the 15th of June 2022. A Barbie booth opened at 2022 CCXP event in São Paulo Brazil. First teaser trailer debuted during Avatar: The Way of Water preview screenings December 2022 parodying Dawn of Man sequence from Stanley Kubrick's 1968 film 2001: A Space Odyssey narrated by Helen Mirren. Official trailer released the 25th of May 2023. Float promoting film featured in 2023 WeHo Pride Parade Los Angeles. Pink billboards appeared worldwide blank apart from release date July 21st. Real-world Barbie Dreamhouse became available to rent through Airbnb in Malibu California. SAG-AFTRA declared strike action the 14th of July 2023 halting promotional events involving guild members. Mattel and Miniso Group Holding Limited opened Barbiecore flagship store in Changsha China coinciding with theatrical release. Barbie grossed $1.448 billion worldwide becoming highest-grossing live-action comedy film ever. It crossed $1 billion mark the 6th of August 2023 making it only film by solo female director to do so. Barbenheimer phenomenon credited with boosting interest reaching total of 79% tickets sold over weekend for two films totaling 18.5 million people.

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• 5. Critical Reception And Accolades

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  Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave average grade A on A+ to F scale while PostTrak gave 89% overall positive score. Michael Phillips called it lovely eccentrically imaginative example of brand extension and raw untrammeled commercialism. Richard Brody described it brilliant beautiful fun as hell claiming giddily stylized vision makes serious case adapting sanitized IP. Charlotte O'Sullivan hailed easily comedy of year with large amount fun where star producer Margot Robbie writer-director Greta Gerwig did themselves proud. Peter Bradshaw awarded three out five stars describing beamingly affectionate deliriously pink-themed but perhaps giant two-hour commercial for product. Lovia Gyarke called tricky balancing act corporate fealty subversion lauding direction set design costumes soundtrack lead performances criticizing muddled politics flat emotional landing. Variety critic Peter Debruge praised humor giving permission challenge what Barbie represents concluding intellectual experience not emotional one grounded largely audience nostalgia. National Board Review American Film Institute named top-ten films 2023. Soundtrack album received twelve nominations at 66th Annual Grammy Awards. Tied Cabaret 1972 second-most nominations Golden Globe history earning leading nine at 81st edition winning Best Original Song What Was I Made For and inaugural Golden Globe Cinematic Box Office Achievement. Received eighteen nominations Critics Choice Movie Awards history longest list ever. Longlisted fifteen categories 77th British Academy Film Awards equalling BAFTA longlist record most nominations set by Edward Berger German anti-war film All Quiet on Western Front 2022. Received eight nominations 96th Academy Awards including Best Picture Best Adapted Screenplay Best Supporting Actor Gosling Best Supporting Actress Ferrera two nominations Best Original Song ultimately winning Best Original Song What Was I Made For.

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• 6. Thematic Analysis Of Feminism And Existentialism

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  Lucy Ford of GQ wrote ruminates very idea makes human idea other whether truly such thing autonomy simply pawns picked disposed no longer useful. Barbie Ken go opposite but equal journeys self-discovery venturing real world learning oppressive patriarchal society opposed matriarchal utopia Barbieland caught crosshairs sentient someone else's idea battling free will omnipresent predetermined rules where go act. Wiebke Deimling compared scene choice going back perfect life Barbieland learning truth existence real world experience machine thought experiment American philosopher Robert Nozick. Alissa Wilkinson compared Barbieland biblical Garden Eden Barbie Ken inverted parallels Adam Eve seeing first impression suddenly self-conscious aware being looked real world film version Fall. Chinese critic Li Jingfei compared sudden awareness death moment Siddhartha Gautama left palace birth learned suffering death leading enlightenment. Katie Pickles showed matriarchy bad patriarchy Kens objectified excluded sex true heroes outcasts Weird Barbie Allan deprogrammed Barbies tolerating status quo aligning Gerwig conception feminism everyone stands sunshine. Jack Butler rejected perception shallow man-hating repulsive screed arguing post-feminist satire feminists imagine perfect world looking like imagine male dominance like. Ross Douthat argued movie feminist default complicated sometimes muddled feelings sexual revolution done feminism ought go describing female-centric nature dystopian men nothing arm-candy pregnant women children marginalized. Jean Guerrero presented subtext feminist exterior world disregards men feelings inverted form patriarchy also cruel.

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