Calling Your Inner Child! Barbie Live Action Movie Coming in 2023!

Talk about the year for nostalgia -- with so many things being published, revamped, and re-aired, it was about time the Barbie movies came back too! The announcement was made earlier this year, as was the potential cast list. Here’s what we know so far!

The iconic Margot Robbie, whom we have seen fill plenty of different shoes, now has to fill in the pretty pink slippers that Barbie wears for the upcoming film. Our boy toy, Ken, will be played by heartthrob Ryan Gosling, who was added to the cast list back in October. Gosling had initially rejected the role, due to a busy schedule, but because of the delay in filming during the pandemic, he happily picked up the role once again. 

More iconic actors have been announced; their characters, though, remain a mystery. This includes Simu Liu, America Ferrera, Kate McKinnon, and Ariana Greenblatt.

Robbie toldBritish Vogue, “It [the movie] comes with a lot of baggage! 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...’” 

Greta Gerwig, the director, is known for Little Women and Lady Bird, two critically-acclaimed coming-of-age films which earned her award nominations and even wins. She will be collaborating with her husband Noah Baumbach, whom she has worked with for quite some time now. The plot of the movie is still unknown, but of course, it will surround the Mattel line of popular dolls that made their debut back in 1959. It should be known that, with Gerwig behind the scenes, it will not be your typical Barbie movie. Barbie has been known to fill in many roles -- President, Olympic athlete, fashion designer, teacher, doctor, and many more -- but with Gerwig’s version, we can expect to see her confronting her feminist critics in the best way possible.

The project was initially announced back in 2019 by Warner Bros., but because of a busy schedule on both Gerwig and Robbie’s parts, as well as the pandemic, the production was pushed back. Filming is said to have started back in February and will be released in 2023, though no specific date nor platform has been announced yet.

Barbie has seen many animated direct-to-DVD adventures over the years, but this will be this character's introduction into live-action. Here are a couple of Barbie movies to watch while we impatiently wait for the newest version!

Barbie as The Princess and the Pauper

A story with millions of different versions, but none better than this one. The movie is about two Barbies, Princess Anneliese and Erika, who switch their lives and find themselves learning valuable lessons. It is the first Barbie movie to not include the fantastical elements (fairies, mermaids, magic, etc.) that we know and love from the films.

Barbie of Swan Lake

The classic fantastical Barbie movie where our aspirations of becoming ballerinas were born. This film adapts the famous Tchaikovsky ballet and follows Barbie as Odette on a mission to defeat the sorcerer Rothbart who turns her into a swan. This Barbie adventure also ends happily ever after and leaves an everlasting memory for all its watchers.

Barbie in the 12 Dancing Princesses

Another mini dancer inspiration movie, in this magical adventure, Barbie as Genevieve goes on a mission to save her father from his villainous cousin and her sisters from being trapped in a magical world forever. Another beautiful classic that has a wonderful score and a bright and beautiful color pallet.