If you couldn't already tell, we are mega excited about the new Barbie film that drops two weeks today (!!).
And the fanfare surrounding the film has reached fever-pitch after the world premiere in LA this week, where mega stars from the most talked-about movie of the year descended on the pink carpet in their droves.
One such A-lister to join the premiere was Nicki Minaj, who posted the sweetest tweet about Margot Robbie. “She’s strikingly gorgeous in person,” she wrote alongside a picture of the duo. “Btw, the entire cast of this movie nailed it. The film is so visually stimulating. The actors can actually act, & the comedic timing is actually on time. Bravo. I’ll see it again & give my final analysis around the 21st. Will Ferrell, IU,” she added.
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The premiere comes after Billie Eilish revealed what part she will play. Taking to Instagram, the ‘Happier Than Ever’ singer said she has written a new song for the Barbie soundtrack - which already includes big hitters like Dua Lipa, Charli XCX and even Ryan Gosling (yes, really).
“Ahhhh ‘What Was I Made For?’ coming out 13 July at 7am PT!!!” she captioned a picture of the song title with the Barbie symbol. “We made this song for Barbie and it means the absolute world to me me. This movie is going to change ur lives and hopefully the song will too. Get ready to sob.”
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So, when is Barbie going to be released? At this point, it feels as if it has been years in the making. With a stellar cast (um, hi Margot, Ryan, Dua Lipa, Nicola Coughlan, Helen Mirren Emma Mackey, Kingsley Ben-Adir, Issa Rae, Michael Cera, Rhea Pearlman, Emerald Fennell, Scott Evans, Ritu Arya, Jamie Demetriou, Hari Nef, Sharon Rooney, and Marisa Abela!), and a feminist take on the doll we all grew up with, we can't wait to see what magic Gerwig – along with Hollywood's finest acting talent – has sprinkled on a childhood classic.
Real big Kenergy.
The final trailer dropped in May, and sees Barbie inviting Ken to a ‘blow out’ party at her place, where she seemingly has an existential crisis in the middle of the dance floor when she asks the other Barbies: “Do you ever think about dying?”
After laughing it off, Barbie explains that some ‘odd’ things have been going on in her world, like cold showers, falling off of her roof, and her perennially high heels have gone flat. Barbie and Ken later travel to the ‘real world’ to discover the ‘truth about the universe’ and a whole lot of antics ensue.
You can watch the trailer for yourself here:
In June, Margot Robbie also dressed as Barbie to take viewers through the Barbie Dream House for Architectural Digest, and it's just as pretty, pink and unpractical as we'd hoped.
Earlier this year, new posters for the new Barbie film gave us an insight into the Barbies' careers. One is a doctor, a lawyer, a diplomat, and one has a Nobel Prize. Major.
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Here's everything we know about the Barbie film so far, including plot, cast, release date, and trailer.
What do we know from the Barbie trailer?
In the first teaser trailer, we got a glimpse of Margot Robbie in a gorgeous pink gingham dress, waving out at a rather Barbie-looking world, as well as in an enviable bathing suit coupled with a rather '80s-inspired curly fringe.
The second trailer saw all the Barbies and Kens involved. You can watch it here:
The third trailer (and seemingly final as it's called the ‘main’ trailer) gave us more of a glimpse of what Barbie and Ken get up to in the real world. You can scroll up and watch that above.
What is Barbie about?
In The Hollywood Reporter, Margot Robbie revealed that the film is going to give audience “the thing you didn't know you wanted.”
She went on to say that the plot will defy assumptions we might all have had about the character of Barbie — which we hope means that she won't be seen through the male gaze.
From the trailers for the film, it definitely looks as if Greta has taken a feminist take on Barbie, as the Barbies rule Barbie Land, all with stellar careers and endless positivity, while the Kens are described as ‘just Ken’.
The movie appears to begin in Barbie Land, where Margot's Barbie starts to notice that things in her always perfect world are starting to go wrong. To correct this, she must travel to the real world (and Ryan Gosling's Ken tags along). It appears Barbie is trying to discover the true meaning of life … so watch this space.
Margot has also previously commented on the responsibility that comes with playing the role: “It comes with a lot of baggage!" she told British Vogue in 2021. ”And a lot of nostalgic connections. But with that come a lot of exciting ways to attack it. People generally hear 'Barbie' and think, ‘I know what that movie is going to be,’ and then they hear that Greta Gerwig is writing and directing it, and they’re like, 'Oh, well, maybe I don’t...'"
Ladybird’s Greta Gerwig wrote the script, together with her long-term partner Noah Baumbach, and if there’s one thing guaranteed with Greta, it’s a female-led film with strong feminist messaging. Oh yes.
“For us, the Barbie movie should definitely have a message of female empowerment, and that you can dream and be anything you want,” Greta asserted back in 2019.
This is our 90s dream come true.
Who will star in Barbie?
As we already revealed above, there's plenty of iconic celebs joining the cast - and a bunch more just got announced.
Margot Robbie is starring as Barbie and producing the project via her LuckyChap banner alongside LuckyChap’s Tom Ackerley (her husband). Mattel Films’ Robbie Brenner and Paddington producer David Heyman are also producing.
Ryan Gosling will star as her beau, Ken, and Kingsley Ben-Adir, Issa Rae, Michael Cera, Rhea Pearlman, Emerald Fennell, Scott Evans, Ritu Aryau, Ncuti Gatwa, Jamie Demetriou, Emma Mackey, Nicola Coughlan and Marisa Abela will also star. Dua Lipa is also joining the cast as ‘mermaid Barbie’, whilst Helen Mirren will lend her voice as narrator.
Speaking to Empire magazine, Emma Mackey revealed that all of the Barbies featured in film had a sleepover at the start of filming (sorry but that sounds like the best, most gorgeous sleepover ever) and Mackey was in attendance.
So, reading between the lines, it seems pretty likely she is also playing Barbie in the film.
“Right in the beginning, we had a sleepover for the Barbies, which would involve playing games with Scott [Evans] and Ncuti [Gatwa],” Mackey said. “I don’t play games usually, because I get so competitive and angry. But Scott and I were top of the game.”
What do we know about the Barbie movie so far from the on-set pictures?
We are still absolutely obsessed with last year's images of Margot dressed as Barbie – rocking a pretty '90s retro athleisure look as she's seen in roller skates alongside blonde co-star Ryan.
We finally got to see this scene play out in the latest trailer too, as Barbie and Ken skate along Venice Beach's boardwalk and Barbie punches a man in the face who tries to feel her up. Did we mention we love Barbie?
In the images, the 32-year-old actor was seen emerging from her trailer on set wearing a matching hot pink waistcoat and flared trousers with a lace-up crotch and starry details around the calves, plus white pointed stiletto heeled boots which have metallic silver stars on them.
The aesthetic is paired with a pink and white neckerchief, while Margot's platinum hair is worn, like the iconic doll's, long and straight (down to her waist) with a slight '70s-esque flick at the sides.
The actor looks incredible dressed as the iconic doll complete with a blue polka dot headband in the pink Barbie mobile.
But now, it's co-star Ryan's turn, as we meet Ken – and he does not disappoint. With bleach blonde hair, a suitably rich tan and plastic-fantastic abs, Ryan is so Ken in his double denim and – wait for it – personalised boxer shorts:
Is there a release date for Barbie?
The movie is set to be released in UK cinemas on 21 July 2023.
