The last time we got a high-profile blockbuster film based on a beloved children’s toy with Will Ferrell as the villain, The LEGO Movie came out, and it was absolutely spectacular. And now, with Barbie closing in on theaters this summer, history looks all but ready to repeat itself.
Indeed, it’s no controversial act to suggest that Barbie will go on to be one of the most beloved movies of the year; armed with an all-star cast, the in-her-element creative juggernaut Greta Gerwig as director and co-writer, and a recent trailer that showed its bitingly satirical, existential hand, it has all the tools required to conquer the movie world.
Despite the evocative themes and ideas it will no doubt explore, however, it looks like Barbie will also be walking the walk in the spectacle department. After all, why make a Barbie film if you’re not going to lean into the brand’s party potential to some degree?
The festivities weren’t restricted to the set, either. In a recent interview with ET Online, Issa Rae, who portrays President Barbie, reflected on the emphasis that was put on the cast’s bonding time, which often involved going out and indulging in, as Rae calls them, “un-Barbie-like activities.”
“We went out together at a club night, we had a couple of other crazy nights, so, she (Greta Gerwig) was all about facilitating bonding time. I’m grateful for it. We were better for it. We did a lot of un-Barbie-like activities off-set.”
It’s no wonder, then, that everyone looks to be having the time of their lives from what we’ve seen of the trailers so far; it’s just that sort of spunky, fun-loving camaraderie that will make the energy of the Barbie movie a force to be reckoned with. Good luck, Oppenheimer.
Barbie is due in theaters on July 21.