Margot Robbie’s ‘Barbie’ Movie Is Being Written By Two Oscar Nominees, Including Greta Gerwig

There are currently 36 “official” Barbie films, from Barbie in the Nutcracker to Barbie Fairytopia: Magic of the Rainbow to Barbie & Her Sisters in The Great Puppy Adventure, which I think beat Spotlight for Best Picture at the Oscars. There hasn’t been a live-action Barbie movie, though… at least until Margot Robbie got involved. It was announced last year that Robbie had been cast as a Barbie Girl, literally, in a feature-film about the much-accessorized doll. As a long-time fan of Robbie, dating back to her Pan Am days, I was prepared to buy an afternoon ticket to the movie, so the least amount of people possible would hear me say, “One ticket for Barbie.” But now I’ll be there opening night:

Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach, known for critically adored, film festival-playing quirky dramas, are tackling Barbie, Warner Bros.’ big-screen take on the Mattel toy icon. Gerwig and Baumbach will write the script, with Gerwig, who last directed Lady Bird, eyeing it as a helming vehicle.

That’s Greta Gerwig, the indie icon and two-time Academy Award nominee (Lady Bird), and Noah Baumbach, who also has an Oscar nomination (The Squid and the Whale), writing — and in Gerwig’s case, possibly directing — a movie about Barbie. Oh, and Margot Robbie was up for an Oscar, too. I half expect Jack Nicholson to be announced as Ken later this week (he already has the sunglasses). Anyway, this movie will either be subversive fun, or lead to dozens of “should have stayed in the toy box” headlines. I’m not sure which.

But I do know who should compose the score.