It’s official. Margot Robbie to star in an upcoming live-action Barbie movie.
According to E! News, Warner Bros., and Mattel have reached a deal to bring the franchise to theaters in their first ever live-action feature film.
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“This project is a great start to our partnership with [Ynon Kreiz] and Mattel Films,” said Toby Emmerich, chairman of Warner Bros. Pictures Group. “And Margot is the ideal producer and actress to bring Barbie to life on screen in a fresh and relevant way for today’s audiences.”
Margot Robbie is co-producing the movie under her LuckyChap Entertainment production company.
“Playing with Barbie promotes confidence, curiosity and communication throughout a child’s journey to self-discovery. Over the brand’s almost 60 years, Barbie has empowered kids to imagine themselves in aspirational roles from a princess to president,” the 28-year-old actress told E! News in a statement. “I’m so honored to take on this role and produce a film that I believe will have a tremendously positive impact on children and audiences worldwide. I can’t imagine better partners than Warner Bros. and Mattel to bring this film to the big screen.”
The Barbie movie was originally produced by Sony Pictures, but the movie studio passed on the project and Mattel took back the rights. Margot Robbie signed a deal with Warner Bros. in 2016.
“Barbie is one of the most iconic franchises in the world and we are excited to partner with Warner Bros. Pictures and Margot Robbie to bring her to life on the big screen. We look forward to building on this collaboration with Warner Bros. Pictures as we tell the stories of our beloved brands,” Kreiz, chairman and CEO of Mattel, said in a statement. “Mattel Films is on a path to demonstrate the enormous potential of our brand portfolio, as we continue to execute on our strategy of transforming Mattel into an IP-driven, high performing toy company.”
The feature film is now in development and no casting calls have been released yet. Nor has the release date and the director been announced yet.
Amy Schumer was originally cast to play Barbie, with a release date set for June 29, 2018. However, she dropped out of the project in 2017. In a statement, Schumer said, “Sadly, I’m no longer able to commit to Barbie due to scheduling conflicts. The film has so much promise, and Sony and Mattel have been great partners. I’m bummed, but look forward to seeing Barbie on the big screen.” A Sony spokesperson said, “We respect and support Amy’s decision. We look forward to bringing Barbie to the world and sharing updates on casting and filmmakers soon.”
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