“It had to happen for it to mean something”: Barbie star reveals how new film changes doll’s legacy

Even though the toy line has grown over time, America Ferrera shares how the Barbie movie will expand on the doll’s legacy and explore its age-old values. Ferreira stars in Mattel’s adaptation as Gloria, a real-world doll company employee who discovers that Barbie, played by Margot Robbie, has arrived there from Barbieland. Gloria and her daughter, Sasha (played by Ariana Greenblatt), join Barbie on a journey of self-discovery to find new meaning in life.

When speaking exclusively to Screen Rant to discuss her work on Barbie, America Ferrera was asked about her personal history with the Mattel doll. The star revealed that she didn’t actually have any children during her childhood, citing both her inability to afford them and the lack of representation on offer for minorities, but wanted to expand on this legacy and make it more accessible to modern audiences. praised the film for making it more accessible. Here’s what Ferreira explained:

“I didn’t play with Barbies as a child, I think mainly because we weren’t able to afford them. and also because I did not reflect myself in the world; Barbie didn’t really represent me. But what was wonderful about the script was that it was an extension of that world that included more of us and to be able to be a part of something as iconic and ideal and culturally influential as Barbie, which Standards were set for girls and women. Over the decades, and being a part of its legacy and then expanding it, has been a great pleasure.

I guess that’s why Barbie is still here. If Barbie didn’t change, it would only be hostile; It could not survive in this culture. This has to happen for us to make sense of it. I just think it just needs to change to keep pace with the new generation of young women and moms out there.

Because the Barbie movie would have to reconstruct the origins of the doll

Created by Ruth Handler in the 1950s and inspired by a German toy called Bild Lili, the Barbie doll was originally created in hopes of filling a gap in the market for adult-sized dolls, named after her daughter Barbara. was named after. However, since its launch, the Barbie line has often been criticized by parents and feminist critics, who considered it too bold for children at the time of its introduction and later thought it promoted an unrealistic body image. Is. Some studies have also linked it to eating disorders that tend to develop at an early age.

In addition to body image issues, the Barbie doll line has long faced criticism, with Ferreira citing a lack of proper diversity for minorities and people with physical disabilities, making it a large segment of children around the world. has become an inaccessible toy line for. While this may raise questions about the need for a Barbie-centric film, especially after her dozens of direct-to-video animated titles, Ferreira’s enthusiasm for expanding on Gerwig’s doll legacy should be a sign that it’s time for these various how to address the issues.

The cast of the Barbie film alone reflects the growth of the doll’s legacy as it includes a diverse group of actors playing variations of Ken and Barbie, including Issa Rae, Hari Nef, Simu Liu, Kingsley Ben-Adir and Nkuti Gatwa. . Gerwig and Robbie also assured that the film will address Mattel in its real-world setting and that the company is open to this collaboration, it can be hoped that it will pave the way for a better legacy for the future Barbie doll line. .

Main release date:

Barbie Release Date: July 21, 2023