The Barbie film is among the greatest films of the 12 months. It’s been out barely over a weekend and it’s already one of many highest-grossing movies of 2023 because of the largest home opening weekend of the 12 months. It has to really feel fairly good for all concerned, however probably no more so for Mattel, the corporate that spent years attempting to get their doll became a film. Not solely did it get executed, however they clearly made the suitable selections concerning who ought to make the movie, which is essential as a result of there have been plenty of different selections.
The Barbie film existed at two totally different studios previous to arriving at Warner Bros. and had no less than two totally different large names hooked up to star within the movie. It souls like there have been plenty of totally different pitches for what a Barbie film needs to be. Robbie Brenner, the top of Mattel’s movie division not too long ago advised Selection that whereas among the different porches for Barbie have been “attention-grabbing,” some have been downright “horrible,” and it doesn’t sound like anyone was very enthusiastic about any concepts till Greta Gerwig got here alongside. Brenner defined…
Earlier than the thought of Greta got here up, we went out to a bunch of writers simply to listen to totally different concepts, and we heard a bunch of pitches. Some have been attention-grabbing and totally different and outdoors of the field and bizarre and what you’d anticipate and horrible. I imply, the entire gamut. However there was nothing that ever felt prefer it was value making a film about till this concept of Greta directing the film.
On the one hand, Barbie has been round for therefore lengthy and has executed a lot that there should be a limitless variety of concepts for a movie. It seems like Mattel heard all of them. More often than not once we see main IP became a film, it is performed fairly secure, and plenty of the pitches have been probably precisely that. It is clear Mattel was open to extra radical concepts, and it seems like Gerwig wasn’t the one one who had one, however for no matter motive, the opposite concepts did not work.
The Barbie film had beforehand been at Common earlier than the rights to the character went to Sony. Whereas there, the primary large title hooked up to star as Barbie was Amy Schumer, which one has to imagine needed to have been one of many extra “attention-grabbing” takes on the character. If nothing else it confirmed that Mattel was taking a look at concepts that have been outdoors the field.
Ultimately, Schumer dropped out and Anne Hathaway was hooked up to star, however that was so far as issues bought at Sony. Clearly, there have been points developing with a narrative because the undertaking merely sat in limbo the whole time. It seems like they talked to plenty of totally different writers about totally different concepts, and whereas not each concept was horrible, nothing that got here earlier than Greta Gerwig appeared to click on.
Clearly, it was well worth the wait, nonetheless. Whereas Greta Gerwig actually appeared like an attention-grabbing alternative herself to direct a Barbie film, Mattel and WB actually will need to have seen one thing in her pitch, and to their credit score, they select fairly properly.
