Greta Gerwig is opening up about Barbie casting that could have been.

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The Barbie movie has a somewhat dramatic past. The journey of the live-action Barbie film began in September 2009 when Universal Pictures initially announced the project, with Laurence Mark set to produce. However, it wasn’t until April 2014 that development truly commenced, as Sony Pictures acquired the film rights to the iconic character. Over the course of the film’s evolution, there were several changes in writers and directors, and the casting went through transitions as well, with Amy Schumer initially attached and later replaced by Anne Hathaway in the lead role. In October 2018, Sony lost the rights, which were subsequently transferred to Warner Bros. Pictures. In 2019, Margot Robbie was cast as Barbie. Finally, in 2021, Greta Gerwig was announced as the director and co-writer of the film, alongside Noah Baumbach.
Journey into the Barbie world in the movie trailer, available on official social media:
Now, directed by Gerwig and co-written with Baumbach, the new Barbie movie has been reworked into a fantasy comedy film set to release in theaters 20 July, 2023 — interestingly, the same day as Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer, starring massive Hollywood names like Robert Downey Jr., Matt Damon, Florence Pugh, Cillian Murphy and Emily Blunt. Drawing inspiration from Mattel’s popular Barbie doll line, this live-action adaptation marks a departure from previous computer-animated direct-to-video and streaming television films also utilizing the Barbie brand. Think: Barbie in the Nutcracker (2001), or Barbie as the Princess and the Pauper (2004). This much-anticipated movie follows the adventures of Margot Robbie as Barbie and Ryan Gosling as Ken, who embark on a quest to find themselves after leaving the idyllic Barbie Land.

The (current) Barbie movie cast
The star-studded cast of the Barbie film also includes America Ferrera, who portrays Gloria, a Mattel employee who discovers Barbie in the real world. Kate McKinnon takes on the role of Weird Barbie, while Issa Rae shines as President Barbie. Rhea Perlman embodies Ruth Handler, and Will Ferrell portrays the CEO of Mattel. The film also features various interpretations of Barbie, with Hari Nef as Dr. Barbie, Alexandra Shipp as Writer Barbie, Emma Mackey as Physicist Barbie, Sharon Rooney as Lawyer Barbie, Dua Lipa as Mermaid Barbie, Nicola Coughlan as Diplomat Barbie, Ana Cruz Kayne as Judge Barbie, and Ritu Arya as Journalist Barbie.

The different versions of Ken are played by Kingsley Ben-Adir, Simu Liu, Scott Evans, and Ncuti Gatwa, while John Cena brings Merman Ken to life. Additionally, Helen Mirren serves as the narrator, Emerald Fennell takes on the role of Midge, and Michael Cera plays Allan. Together, this ensemble cast brings the beloved Barbie characters to the big screen in a highly anticipated film.
Director Greta Gerwig’s casting disappointments

It seems like Greta Gerwig is finally opening up about the casting process of the Barbie movie — and she’s recounting two very particular moments in which she was definitely “annoyed”.
Speaking to CinemaBlend, Gerwig shares how she nearly got two Little Women (2019) alumni to join her explosively pink Barbie film. Firstly, she talks about how Saoirse Ronan, who played Jo March in Little Women nearly had a “specialty cameo” in the film — but due to the fact that she was “actually producing at the time”, her cameo was originally going to be “a sort of smaller thing”.

She also mentions Timothée Chalamet and how he nearly had a cameo role as well, affectionately calling him “Timmy”. Gerwig however, also makes it clear how she “was so annoyed” at the fact that “both of them couldn’t do it”. Despite her disappointment in the loss of these roles, it seems Gerwig still is happy to call herself “their mom”:
But I love them so much. But it felt like doing something without my children. I mean, I’m not their mom, but I sort of feel like their mom.
Either way, it doesn’t seem like any bridges were actually burned! It’s almost certain that the Dune (2022) actor would have played a Ken in the Barbie film — as part of the endearingly creepy collective of singing and dancing Ken dolls of which Ryan Gosling’s Ken and Simu Liu’s Ken (yes, Marvel’s superhero Shang-Chi) belong. For now, audiences have the Roald Dahl “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” live-action adaptation Wonka (2023) to catch, if they want to catch Chalamet in action again.
What do you think of Timothée Chalamet and Saoirse Ronan being cast as a Ken or Barbie? Share your thoughts in the comments below!