Come on Barbie, let’s go party! The first full trailer for Greta Gerwig’s Barbie just dropped, but it seems like everyone’s favorite Mattel doll has her sights set on more than just a little fun. The preview may look like a candy-colored dreamland—but after she’s expelled from Barbieland for her imperfections, Barbie (and… Ken) go on an epic adventure to the human world in search of true happiness.
Barbie is Gerwig’s latest directorial endeavor, which she wrote alongside her partner, Noah Baumbach. Margot Robbie stars as Barbie—or, at least, one of the Barbies—and Ryan Gosling and his cursed platinum blonde hair will take on Ken.) The trailer begins with Barbie saying hello to her fellow dolls, while Ken vies for her attention. Then, we get all-too-brief glimpses of Robbie, Gosling, Issa Rae, and Simu Liu hamming it up in the Barbie-verse before Barbie and Ken decide to leave town. The movie hits theaters next year, and we’re patiently waiting to see what unfolds. In the meantime, check out the movie poster below—and read on for everything you need to know about the upcoming Barbie movie.
Who Is Starring in Barbie?
Gosling will star against Robbie as a totally broke Ken. This may sound like a natural choice, but it seems that even though he loved the script, Gosling needed a little push to take the role. Well, that push came in the form of a Ken doll face down… in the dirt… next to a lemon. Speaking on The Tonight Show, Gosling opened up to host Jimmy Fallon about how he finally decided to accept after he got the initial offer.
“Best script I’ve ever read. I walk out in the backyard and, do you know where I found Ken, Jimmy?” Gosling said, “Face down in the mud next to a squished lemon. I texted [the photo] to Greta and said, ‘I shall be your Ken, for his story must be told.'”
Along with Robbie and Gosling, we can expect a stacked cast. Though in still-unspecified roles, here is the list of several others that are set to make appearances: Kate McKinnon, N’Cuti Gatwa, Emma Mackey, America Fererra, Will Ferrell, Michael Cera, Hari Nef, Alexandra Shipp, Kingsley Ben-Adir, Rhea Perlman, Emerald Fennell, Sharon Rooney, Ariana Greenblatt, Dua Lipa, and Jamie Demetriou.
What Is Barbie About?
Aside from Barbie and Ken’s getaway plan, we don’t know much about the plot. Though it’s safe to assume the movie probably won’t be a straightforward, fluffy film á la Barbie Life in The Dreamhouse.
Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Robbie confirmed as much. “People immediately have an idea of, ‘Oh, Margot is playing Barbie, I know what that is,'” she said, “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.'”
The rumors of the film harboring multiple Barbies have been confirmed by Sex Education and Death on The Nile alum, Mackey. Speaking to Empire, Mackey mentioned a sleepover amongst the Barbie cast that has fans talking. “Right in the beginning, we had a sleepover for the Barbies, which would involve playing games with Scott [Evans] and Ncuti [Gatwa],” she said.
She later added that “Barbie is light and funny and silly and American and pink.” Rest assured, it won’t make you cry. “It’s very unexpected in many ways,” Mackey said. I think people are going to have an idea of the film, and I don’t think it’s going to be that. It’s going to be a surprise. And it’s a comedy, thank God. No crying in this film! Let me tell you that. No crying! It was great to do pure comedy—an American comedy.”
When Does Barbie Release?
As announced by Warner Bros., the movie is set to hit theaters on July 21, 2023.
Can We Take a Look At the Set Photos?
Sure! A seemingly endless number of photos and videos from the film set trended on Twitter over the summer. Here is some of that action below.
Ammal Hassan
Ammal Hassan is a writer and Esquire’s Snapchat Editor. She covers all things culture with a focus on music and pop culture. She is from Nairobi, Kenya and lives in New York City.
Associate Staff Writer
Bria McNeal is a Manhattan based journalist who is patiently awaiting B5’s revival. When she’s not writing about all things entertainment, she can be found watching TV or trying to DIY something (likely, at the same time). Her work has appeared in NYLON, Refinery29, InStyle, and her personal newsletter, StirCrazy.