Toy Story remains one of Pixar’s most beloved movies, but even diehard fans might not realize that Barbie–arguably the world’s most well-known toy–almost had a major role before it was cut. The movie remains a critical part of the Pixar canon, and its characters have become firmly associated with its brand. Nevertheless, when it was released, the movie was far from a sure bet, even if it did have all of the ingredients which made the studio’s later releases so popular with audiences and critics alike.
Barbie, who is getting a live-action movie in 2023, is one of the most iconic toys and has a long, storied history in American popular culture. Having first been sold in the late 1950s, she has adapted her appearance, her styles, and her careers through the decades as tastes have changed. Given how popular she remains, it makes sense that an upcoming studio like Pixar would have wanted to use her in their movie in order to grant it a level of prestige.
Why Barbie Wasn't In Toy Story 1
The reason why Barbie wasn’t in Toy Story 1 is a fairly simple one. Given she's a licensed property belonging to Mattel, it would have been necessary for Pixar to get the rights to use her image. Unfortunately for the studio, this wasn’t something the toy company was willing to do, as David A. Price explains in his book The Pixar Touch: The Making of a Company.
For one, they feared that the movie wouldn’t be successful, with Toy Story almost getting cancelled, thus leading to some damage to the iconic character’s reputation. For another, they wanted to maintain Barbie’s neutrality. Therefore, every person who bought a Barbie doll could imagine her as they wanted, rather than as she was portrayed in a particular movie.
Given that Barbie was no longer a part of the movie, most of her role was assigned to Toy Story's newly-written character, Bo Peep (voiced by Annie Potts). Ultimately, of course, Barbie would make a noted appearance in Toy Story 3 after appearing in smaller supporting roles in Toy Story 2. This was due in large part to the enormous success of both the original movie and its sequel, as well as Pixar in general, which very quickly emerged as one of the most important animation studios in the world.
Barbie Had A Major Role In Toy Story 1
Before Mattel nixed the idea, Barbie was actually slated to play a very major role in the original Toy Story. In fact, one version of the script even had her coming in to rescue Buzz and Woody from the neighbor’s house–where Sid’s mute toys present a mystery Forky explained three movies later–arriving in her signature pink car. In that sense, she would have had a great deal in common with the many female action stars of the 1980s and early 1990s.
In particular, this heroic version of Barbie was viewed as having a lot in common with Sigourney Weaver’s Ripley from the various movies in the Alien franchise. There was also a line that was a reference to Sarah Connor of Terminator, another beloved action heroine. During the course of the rewrites, however, it was determined her arrival was too convenient, and it would also have robbed Woody of valuable character development.
Ultimately, it was probably for the best that Barbie didn’t make her first starring appearance in the films until Toy Story 3, which was an entirely different movie than the original plans Disney had for Toy Story 3. This gave the original characters space to develop their own personalities and their own loyalties among fans. It also gave Woody a chance to develop his own romance with Bo Peep, to date one of the most notable of Pixar’s female characters. Even though the first Toy Story maintains its magic, Barbie’s new presence opens up many potential future stories.