Many recognise Margot Robbie for her spot-on portrayal of Harley Quinn in ‘Suicide Squad’ and ‘Birds of Prey’.
Now, imagine what she would be like as Barbie? Yes, The Barbie.
And now, forget what you’ve imagined because the 30-year-old Australian actress is adamant that the live-action movie featuring the doll is going to be “something totally different”.
Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Robbie talked about the upcoming live-action adaption of one of the most well-known names on the planet: Barbie. Alongside her LuckyChap producing partners Tom Ackerley and Josey McNamara, they shared:
“The name itself, people immediately have an idea of, ‘Oh, Margot is playing Barbie, I know what that is,’ 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’… Now, can we truly honor the IP and the fan base and also surprise people? Because if we can do all that and provoke a thoughtful conversation, then we’re really firing on all cylinders.”
“IP” (“intellectual property”) in this context meaning the pre-existing property that they have been hired to adapt into a movie. With Barbie having been around since 1959, Robbie, Ackerley and McNamara have their work cut out for them – they’ve got 61 years of movies, TV shows, clips and all-around iconic moments from the doll that have shaped the childhoods of many around the world.
Robbie was confirmed for the role of ‘Barbie’ back in 2018, following her award-winning roles in ‘I, Tonya’ and ‘Suicide Squad’. However, the role had initially been rumoured to have gone to Amy Schumer – who was meant to take the role of an “imperfect” Barbie but had to drop out due to “scheduling conflicts”. Following this, Anne Hathaway was recast but those plans fall through as well, following the formation of Mattel films, allowing the company to take ownership over movies based on the company’s toy brands. And while we are still in the dark of the plot for the upcoming live-action, Robbie has been quoted as aiming for it to promote “curiosity and communication throughout a child’s journey to self-discovery.”
*Cover image credits: Instagram / @margotrobbie / @barbie