‘Princess and the Pauper’: Peek inside Margot Robbie’s new Barbie movie
Life in plastic? Oh, it’s fantastic. At least that’s what Margot Robbie is saying about starring as Barbie in the new live-action film based on the beloved doll. Aptly titled Barbie, Robbie will play “a doll living in ‘Barbieland’ [who is] expelled for not being perfect enough and sets off on an adventure in the real world” according to its IMDB page.
Margot Robbie is not only starring in the film – she’s producing it too, with her production company LuckyChap Entertainment. She recently chatted with The Hollywood Reporter about all their upcoming projects and how proud she is of the film already. Though it’s not a live adaptation of the Barbie classic Princess and The Pauper, this new film is sure to be Barbie as we’ve never seen her before.
Noah Baumbach & Greta Gerwig
If your three favorite films are Barbie as the Princess and the Pauper, Marriage Story, and Little Women, then your dreams are about to come true, you wonderful weirdo! Marriage Story writer & director Noah Baumbach & Lady Bird writer & director Greta Gerwig are writing the script for the new Barbie film. The pair are not only Oscar nominees, but a real life couple with a child.
Gerwig is also set to direct the feature film. Though Gerwig was praised by critics for her emotive & fresh take on Little Women last year, she was snubbed by major awards during last year’s Oscar season. Does this mean Barbie could be an Oscar darling? If Joker can do it, we don’t see why Barbie can’t.
Robbie told The Hollywood Reporter the hiring of Gerwig & Baumbach was a creative decision. “Now, can we truly honor the IP and the fan base and also surprise people? Because if we can do all that and provoke a thoughtful conversation, then we’re really firing on all cylinders.”
Not your sister’s Barbie movie
While the direct-to video Barbie films were super popular in the 2000s, don’t count on this new adaptation to be like Princess and the Pauper. With dystopian vibes and twee dramedy dreamboats Greta Gerwig & Noah Baumbach on the production team, Barbie doesn’t seem to be like your average Barbie film.
“We like the things that feel a little left of center. Something like Barbie where the IP [Intellectual Property], 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.’” Margot Robbie told THR.
LuckyChap producer Josie McNamara echoed Robbie’s statement in the same THR interview. “Barbie . . . 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.”
Long in the works
In 2015, Sony announced they were teaming with Mattel to produce a Barbie film with Juno writer Diablo Cody attached to the screenplay. Amy Schumer was eventually cast as Barbie, before dropping out in 2017 with Anne Hathway taking over and Alethea Jones coming in to direct.
Cody eventually dropped out in 2018 after writing Tully, saying she wasn’t the right person to write the script. Sony eventually shelved the project and Warner Bros. courted Margot Robbie in the coveted role. Though filming has not started and no release has been set, this most recent interview indicates that Robbie’s production company is still excited about the project.
What do you think? Are excited for the new Barbie film? Are you bummed it won’t be like Princess and the Pauper? Let us know in the comments below.
