Esteemed director Greta Gerwig has revealed how she surreptitiously convinced frquent collaborator and partner Noah Baumbach to co-wite the upcoming Barbie film with her. After a live-action depiction of Mattel's iconic fashion doll was announced in 2019, its pre-production phase saw multiple shifts in creative direction until titular lead Margot Robbie secured the rights to the film through her production company LuckyChap Entertainment. After the film's producers spent an arduous process scouting for writers and directors alongside Mattel and Warner Bros., Gerwig agreed to helm the ambitious project, with a script she co-wrote with Baumbach that will reportedly see Barbie venture into the real world with Ken, played by Ryan Gosling, after being kicked out of the artificially perfect environment of Barbieland.
While speaking to singer Dua Lipa on her podcast At Your Service, Gerwig discusses how she accepted the task of co-writing Barbie on behalf of herself and partner Noah Baumbach, initially without his knowledge. She explains that shortly after giving birth to their son, Gerwig decided that the film, starring Margot Robbie, would be the perfect next collaboration for the couple. Check out what Gerwig had to say below:
“[Margot Robbie] came to me and said, ‘Would you be interested in writing this?’, and I said, ‘Yes!’ And then I said, ‘And Noah would like to write it too.’ And I had not really talked to Noah about this... I think I had a six-month-old baby when I said yes? And I wasn’t necessarily running everything by him… It was in March of 2020 that Noah said, ‘Are we meant to be writing a ‘Barbie’ movie?’ I said, ‘Yes.’ He said, ‘I don’t have any ideas for that! Why didn’t you sign us up to write a different thing?’ And I was like, ‘Because I have a feeling. I like Margot and I have a feeling.’”
Every Greta Gerwig & Noah Baumbach Collaboration Explained
Cinematic collaborations have been a constant throughout the directors' relationship. In fact, the pair first met on the set of Baumbach's 2010 romance drama, Greenberg, in which Gerwig starred alongside Ben Stiller. Gerwig and Baumbach then went on to co-create a number of films, starting with the 2012 black-and-white comedic drama starring Gerwig, Frances Ha, which quickly became a cult classic in independent cinema. The pair wrote Frances Ha together while Baumbach took on directing duties.
Soon after the success of Frances Ha came their second collaborative success, the 2015 comedy they co-wrote called Mistress America, also starring Gerwig and directed by Baumbach. They went on to enjoy groundbreaking careers filled with individual cinematic feats, though their romantic relationship remained strong, and they continued to publicly show gratitude to one another for their continued support for their respective film ventures even during their time as Oscar rivals. While Baumbach has found success as an independent filmmaker with films like The Squid and The Whale and the award-winning drama Marriage Story, Gerwig has achieved critical and commercial acclaim for her empowering female-driven films like Lady Bird and Little Women, which is partially responsible for the mass excitement she has garnered for Barbie. Beyond their work as co-writers, it appears Gerwig has remained a muse of Baumbach as she stars alongside Adam Driver in the apocalyptic black comedy White Noise written and directed by Baumbach and expected to be released December 2.
Why Barbie Could Be Gerwig & Baumbach's Best Collab Yet
While the pair has seen immense success from their joint efforts, Barbie promises to be Gerwig and Baumbach's best collaboration yet. Both filmmakers are known for their moving and complex portraits of the human experience, which many eager viewers are hoping to see from Barbie as a departure from the surface-level and superficial qualities that the character has come to be known for. If Gerwig and Baumbach's joint track record for helming heartwarming and poignant films is any indication, fans' wait will pay off when Barbie is finally released to theaters on July 21, 2023.
Source: At Your Service