Barbie: Greta Gerwig officially directing with Margot Robbie set to star

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

Barbie, Greta Gerwig, Margot Robbie, film, 2022

It's time to pop the top of your Barbie Convertible Car and crank up those hot summer jams because Greta Gerwig is officially set to direct Barbie. The film has Margot Robbie starring as the iconic Mattel doll, with Gerwig and Noah Baumbach set to write the script. For a time, Gerwig was only slated to co-write the project. However, during a cover interview with Vogue, Robbie revealed that Gerwig's contributions would extend beyond scripting duties.

While speaking about the highly-anticipated project, Robbie confessed that Barbie “comes with a lot of baggage! And a lot of nostalgic connections.”

“But with that come a lot of exciting ways to attack it,” she added. “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…’”

I'll admit that Gerwig's involvement has me feeling very curious about this film. Based on its source material, I'd picture a comedic romp akin to films like Clueless or Legally Blonde, but perhaps we're in for something far more enlightening and powerful? Count me as one of those people who will be excited to see what Gerwig and company have planned.

Plot details for Barbie have yet to be revealed, though filming is expected to start sometime in 2022 after Gerwig and Baumbach wrap their current project, White Noise. A 2023 theatrical release for Barbie is the goal at this time.

Source: Vogue

About the Author

Born and raised in New York, then immigrated to Canada, Steve Seigh has been a JoBlo.com editor, columnist, and critic since 2012. He started with Ink & Pixel, a column celebrating the magic and evolution of animation, before launching the companion YouTube series Animation Movies Revisited. He's also the host of the Talking Comics Podcast, a personality-driven audio show focusing on comic books, film, music, and more. You'll rarely catch him without headphones on his head and pancakes on his breath.