Margot Robbie's upcoming Barbie movie can potentially have a great payoff for its funniest casting. The Warner Bros. movie already has a star-studded cast that is raising intrigue in the live-action film. However, there is one casting that is especially hilarious - and perfect for a particular character in the film.
The movie, directed by Greta Gerwig and written by Gerwig and Noah Baumbach, is a romantic comedy focused on the titular Mattel doll. Margot Robbie stars as Barbie, taking up the role after Amy Schumer and Anne Hathaway were previously attached to the project. Other notable stars in the film are Ryan Gosling as Barbie's boyfriend Ken, America Ferrera, Will Ferrell as a toy company CEO, Simu Liu, and Emma Mackey. There have been a few Barbie movies in the past, a memorable Barbie appearance in the Pixar film Toy Story 3 (where she was voiced by The Little Mermaid's Jodi Benson), and a television series, but this will be the first live-action Barbie film.
Emma Mackey's casting is great because there has been a meme making the rounds on the internet about how much Mackey looks like Margot Robbie. People have joked that they should star in a project together, and it looks like that joke has become a reality. The best payoff for this casting would be to have Emma Mackey play Skipper Roberts, Barbie's younger sister. Skipper was first introduced in 1964, five years after Barbie was created. There were requests for Barbie to have children, but Mattel gave Barbie a sister instead. Originally, Skipper was eight years old but was aged up to be a teenager. The physical similarities between Sex Education's Emma Mackey and Margot Robbie are perfect for the two of them to play sisters together, especially since the actual Barbie and Skipper dolls look so similar.
However, Emma Mackey isn't only good for the role because of her physical appearance. She also has the acting chops to hold her own against Margot Robbie. Mackey already does a great job playing sardonic teen Maeve Wiley in Sex Education, so she could capably portray Barbie's teen sister. In Sex Education, Mackey's character is an outspoken feminist, which would be perfect for the upcoming Barbie movie since Greta Gerwig's past films have had feminist themes. Birds of Prey's Harley Quinn actress Margot Robbie is also a very talented actress, so seeing the two of them act in scenes together would be fun to watch.
There is also a chance that Emma Mackey isn't portraying Skipper. She could be an entirely different character. Since Will Ferrell is playing the CEO of a toy company, perhaps Mackey will also be inhabiting a character in the "real world" of Barbie. If that's the case, it opens up an opportunity for in-jokes about how much her character resembles Barbie, which would be a fun wink to Mackey and Robbie's resemblance. While that would be fun, Skipper would still be the perfect Barbie role for Emma Mackey.
Emma Mackey's role in the Barbie movie cast can lead to a great payoff for a hilarious casting choice. She would be the perfect actress to play Skipper due to her resemblance to Margot Robbie; the two convincingly look like sisters. However, Emma Mackey is also a solid actress who can elevate the role. Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach have proven to be adept scriptwriters in the past, so their script for the Barbie movie could help Mackey's Skipper be an even better character. The Barbie film is shaping up to be something very interesting, especially since Emma Mackey has been cast.