The Barbie movie trailer featuring Margot Robbie dropped recently, and people are buzzing about it. Margot seems perfect for the titular role, embodying the famous doll to a tee. Her goofy chemistry with Ryan Gosling’s Ken is already evident, and excited viewers are heaping praise on her performance. But did you know that Margot wasn’t the first choice for this role? In this article, we’ll explore the casting history of the Barbie movie and why Amy Schumer was originally cast but later dropped out.
The Backstory
Development for a Barbie film first began in 2009 when Mattel signed a partnership with Universal Pictures. However, nothing materialized from this project, and Mattel teamed up with Sony Pictures in 2014 instead. Sony cast Amy Schumer in the titular role in late 2016 and signed her to cowrite the script. But four months later, Amy cited “scheduling conflicts” as she backed out of the project.
Creative Differences
In March 2022, Amy revealed in an interview with the Hollywood Reporter that she decided to leave the movie due to creative differences. Amy realized that the studio had “the wrong gal” and that there was only one way she was interested in making the movie, which did not align with Sony’s vision. Desiring her character to be an inventor, she found Sony’s proposal that Barbie could create Jell-O-based high heels less than inspiring. The final straw came when the studio sent Amy a pair of Manolo Blahnik shoes to celebrate her casting being announced. She explained: “The idea that that’s just what every woman must want, right there, I should have gone, ‘You’ve got the wrong gal.'”
Margot Takes Over
Sony’s option on the Barbie movie ended up expiring in October 2018, and that’s when it transferred to its current studio, Warner Bros. Pictures. Margot’s casting was confirmed in July 2019, and it was another two years before Greta Gerwig signed on as the movie’s director. Bringing this live-action Barbie movie off the page and onto our screens has clearly been a very long time coming; however, the overwhelming consensus is that Margot’s casting has made the wait entirely worth it for viewers.
Final Thoughts
The Barbie movie with Sony and Amy would no doubt have been very different from what Greta has created with Margot and Warner Bros. However, the fact remains that this version with Margot never would have been made if Amy had not backed out of the deal in 2017. It’s hard to imagine anyone else playing Barbie now that Margot has taken on the role. While it’s clear that Amy had her own vision for the film, it seems like her Barbie dreams just weren’t meant to be.
