Twitter Users React to Set Photos From “Barbie” Movie
by Emily Nagle
Come on Barbie, let’s go party! Over the past several days, pictures and videos from the ongoing “Barbie” film shoot in Venice Beach have made waves online, particularly on Twitter. Leaked photos depict costars Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling – who play Barbie and Ken, respectively – sporting matching neon roller skates and athletic wear.
Principal photography for the film began in England back in March, at Warner Bros. Studios, Leavesden. However, this week the fantastic plastic feature has taken to California, where they were spotted filming various scenes, including one where Barbie and Ken are chased by a store owner while wearing vibrant Western apparel. The film’s plot has been kept under wraps, but speculations have been made based on leaked set photos; for example, after seeing Will Ferrell rollerskating in a suit and pink tie, fans and news sources have guessed that he will play a villainous character in the film.
Fans have also responded to the vibrant set pics with fan art and memes, as well as comments on the abundance of photos and videos. Some even joke that with all the pictures and videos circulating the Internet, the whole movie has been spoiled. One user wrote, “greta gerwig needs to send a cease and desist to filmupdates before we watch the whole barbie movie thru the tl”.
“Barbie” remained in development hell for over a decade. Plans for a movie based on the successful doll line materialized in 2009, but Mattel switched studios, directors, and writers so many times before getting to the point it’s at now. In fact, the film was first slated to release in June 2017 before getting delayed several times to July 2023.
The only detail that’s set in stone is that “Barbie” boasts an all-star cast. While Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, America Ferrera, and Will Ferrell have all been spotted on set, sources have confirmed that the cast will also include Oscar winner Emerald Fennell, Simu Liu, Michael Cera, and Issa Rae.
As for the film’s story, all Robbie has said is that it’s nothing like what you think it will be, describing it as “a little left of center.” In a 2020 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Robbie explained that audiences will be surprised by “Barbie”, in the sense that “Something like Barbie where the IP, 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.”” The film is directed by Greta Gerwig (“Lady Bird”, “Little Women”), who co-wrote the screenplay with her partner Noah Baumbach.