Kate McKinnon has been cast in Warner Bros. upcoming Barbie movie. The film, which stars Margot Robbie as the eponymous doll and Ryan Gosling as Ken, will be directed by Greta Gerwig, who also wrote the script alongside partner and fellow filmmaker Noah Baumbach. In addition to Robbie, Gosling and McKinnon, the live-action film will also star America Ferrera and Simu Liu. Filming has yet to begin, but so far, anticipation is high for the project.
To date, it’s been a bit of a lengthy road for the film, which was first announced all the way back in 2009. Several twists and turns resulted along the way, with Oscar-winner Diablo Cody responsible for the script at one point and actresses Amy Schumer and Anne Hathaway considered for the titular role. Once the dust settled, however, Warner secured Robbie as Barbie, brought Gerwig and Baumbach on board, and things began to really take shape. At present, the exact plot of the film isn’t known, though there have been rumors that it will follow Barbie’s journey to discover her true inner beauty after being kicked out of Barbieland for not being perfect enough. Because the film is based on a toy that has been both criticized and praised over the years, it’s hard to say exactly how it might will fare upon release.
Yet, regardless of what the future might hold for Barbie, so far, the cast of the film looks to be shaping up quite nicely. As Deadline reports, the latest star to join the project is SNL favorite, Kate McKinnon. It isn’t currently known what role the 38-year-old will take on in the film, but fans are sure to be delighted by the news that she’ll be starring alongside Robbie and Gosling in what could end up becoming a considerable hit.
Aside from its cast, one of the major reasons why Barbie could very well perform beyond the expectations of many comes down to Gerwig and Baumbach. Baumbach, in particular, has spent over 30 years writing and directing his own films, gaining three Oscar nominations along the way. And although his films haven’t always catered to mainstream tastes, they have always exhibited razor sharp wit and strong storytelling, providing Baumbach with heaps of critical praise and his very own dedicated following. As for Gerwig, her own proficiency as a director has recently become known, after finding instant success with 2017’s Lady Bird and following that up with a critically acclaimed (and Oscar-winning) adaptation of Little Women.
McKinnon’s casting will likely bring its own unique twist to whatever tale Gerwig and Baumbach have cooked up. With her comedic sensibilities and often strange, yet endearing style, McKinnon could do well to play a villain in the film, though of course, this has yet to be determined. What is likely the safest bet to make about Barbie is that it won’t simply be a predictable, sappy and lazily thrown together adaptation. Thankfully, Gerwig and Baumbach’s past track records provide more than enough proof that they would never fall back on such an easy option.
Source: Deadline