Barbie movie bumped back two years to May 2020

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

Looks like Barbie is going back in the box for a little while, as the Sony announces that the live-action BARBIE movie has been pushed back a whole two years.

Okay, I know that doesn’t break your heart, but that shift is significant nonetheless. The movie based on the iconic toy line set to star Anne Hathaway has been bumped from this August all the way until May 8, 2020. The film is still set to be directed by Alethea Jones, and until she dropped out and was replaced by Hathaway, was originally set to star Amy Schumer.

The big release shift comes as Sony plays a game of musical chairs with some other movies on the calendar. Another big bump was given to SLENDER MAN, which was moved back three months from this May to August 24. Another shift was for GIRL IN THE SPIDER’S WEB starring Claire Foy, which has moved from its October slot to November 9. That November date filled by the Will Ferrell/John C. Reilly movie HOLMES AND WATSON, but that has been pushed six weeks to December 21. Perhaps the massive success of Sony’s JUMANJI has made the studio a bit more cocksure about going up against big, nerd-driven releases, as HOLMES will do against AQUAMAN this holiday season.

The big shift for the BARBIE movie was likely to give everyone more time to work on the movie, as a release date for this late summer seemed too unrealistic to hit. This gives everyone plenty of time to work on the movie. This isn’t exactly a movie I’m itching for, but if I do have to pay attention to it, I’d rather it look good than rushed and slapped together like a doll coming out of an assembly line. 

BARBIE is now set for May 8, 2020.