Yes, it’s true. A movie (this one for adults) based on one of the most popular toys ever sold, Barbie, will be released next year, with Australian actress Margo Robbie playing Barbie and Ryan Gosling in the role of Ken.
Twitter went off last month as candid pictures surfaced of the actors on set, cruising around on their rollerblades donning the most classic Barbie / Ken looks.
So what’s it going to be about?
This week, in an interview with Entertainment Tonight, Gosling, opened up about his role as the world’s most famous boyfriend.
“That Ken life is even harder than the ‘Gray Man’ life, I think,” Gosling said, referring to his latest spy action blockbuster. “Ken’s got no money, he’s got no job, he’s got no car, he’s got no house. He’s going through some stuff.”
Warner Bros.’ Barbie, which has a worldwide release on July 21, 2023, will feature a stellar cast, including Simu Liu, Kate McKinnon, America Ferrera, Alexandra Shipp, Emma Mackey, Kingsley Ben-Adir, Issa Rae, and Michael Cera.
The movie is being directed and written by Greta Gerwig, who was nominated for a Best Director Oscar in 2018 for Lady Bird, and is behind classic feminist films including Frances Ha and Little Women.
“It’s not what you think it is, unless it is,” Gosling added, speaking about the film. “And then you know what it is, but I don’t think that’s what you think it is. Wait, what are we talking about?”
Gosling said he wasn’t allowed to speak deliberately about the movie, joking that Mattel would “box me up” if he talked about the details.
In May, co-star and “Shang-Chi” lead, Simu Liu said the film is “wild” and “incredibly unique.”
“I wish I could just show you what we do day-to-day because it’s crazy,” he told Variety.
The film’s plot has not yet been revealed, though many people are jumping onto the hype, including Mattel CEO Ynon Kreiz, who has called the film a “cultural event.”
Speaking at the Evolve Global Summit this week, Kreiz said Barbie is “very much more than a toy.”
“And more than a doll,” he said. “Barbie is a cultural icon, a pop icon. And this movie is really shaping up to be what we believe, would become a societal moment.”
“The approach that is very different, very unique, not something that you’ve seen before, is going to be very exciting,” he said of the film, which is still in production.
“We know that in success, if people watch the movie, and there’s high engagement, good things will happen. We know how to sell toys, where the opportunity is really about quality entertainment, based on our IP.”