Frequent Greta Gerwig collaborator Saoirse Ronan will not be in the Barbie movie but not for a lack of trying. Warner Bros. turned its live-action Barbie movie into one of the biggest upcoming films in Hollywood once it was revealed that Greta Gerwig is writing and directing and that Margot Robbie would star. Thanks to first-look images of Robbie as the pink doll and Ryan Gosling as Ken, the anticipation for Barbie has only continued to increase. It helps that the movie also features a great ensemble cast that includes Simu Liu, Will Ferrell, Kate McKinnon, Emma Mackey, America Ferrera, Issa Rae, Michael Cera, and many others.
Barbie is set to be the next big step in Gerwig's career as a director in Hollywood. She had a breakout hit in 2017 with Lady Bird, a coming-of-age tale starring Ronan that is loosely based on Gerwig's life in Sacramento as a teenager. The movie received five Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, Best Actress for Ronan, and Best Director for Gerwig. Lady Bird's success gave her the chance to helm a Little Women remake starring Ronan, Florence Pugh, Emma Watson, and more. Gerwig's Little Women received six Oscar nominations, including repeats for Best Picture, Best Actress for Ronan, and Best Director.
With the success that Gerwig and Ronan have achieved together, there were rumors that they would work together again in Barbie. During a recent interview with People, Ronan confirmed that this was the plan at one point. However, scheduling conflicts came in the way of Ronan and Gerwig collaborating again on Barbie. The four-time Oscar nominee said, "I was supposed to do a cameo because I live in London and they were [filming] there. There was a whole character I was going to play — another Barbie. I was gutted I couldn't do it." She has not completely lost hope of a cameo, though, as she said, "I have texted Margot and Greta and I'm like, 'If you're doing any pick-up [shots], maybe I can just walk through the background?'"
The movie that got in the way of Ronan appearing in the live-action Barbie movie is called The Outrun, which is about a woman who returns to Scotland after being away for 10 years. Unfortunately, the opportunity to take on this role got in the way of working with Gerwig again, and Ronan chose to take the starring role even if meant a Barbie cameo was impossible. It remains to be seen if the actress will get her wish of still filming an appearance at a later date.
If Ronan's Barbie cameo does not happen, it will certainly be a bit strange for some to watch a Gerwig movie without her. She was never going to be the main role but seeing her play another version of Barbie would have been fun. It has already been confirmed that multiverse versions of Barbie and Ken will be present in the movie, as it seems most of the main cast members are alternate versions of the iconic Mattel dolls. Without knowing any more details about Ronan's original Barbie role, audiences will have to wait and see if the actress or Gerwig decide to reveal anything else about their near collaboration.
Source: People
Key Release Dates
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Barbie
Release Date:2023-07-21
