Let’s hope there’s enough room in the Barbie Dream House, as the cast for Warner Bros.Barbiefilm has gotten much larger.Per Deadline,Kingsley Ben-Adir(One Night in Miami),Rhea Perlman(Cheers),Ncuti Gatwa(Sex Education),Emerald Fennell(Promising Young Woman),Sharon Rooney(Dumbo),Scott Evans(Almost Love),Ana Cruz Kayne(Painkiller),Connor Swindells(Sex Education),Ritu Arya(Red Notice), andJamie Demetriou(The Afterparty) have all joined the film.Greta Gerwig(Lady Bird,Little Women) directs from a screenplay she co-wrote with her partner,Noah Baumbach(Marriage Story).
All of these join a cast that will be headlined byMargot Robbieas Barbie andRyan Goslingas Ken. Other cast members includeKate McKinnon,Simu Liu,America Ferrera,Ariana Greenblatt,Alexandra Shipp,Emma Mackey, andHari Nef. Themost recent additionsprior to this massively talented new group includedIssa Rae,Michael Cera, andWill Ferrell, who is expected to be playing the CEO of the toy company in the film. Plot details at the moment are thin, but with this level of talent cast and Gerwig’s track record, a very special movie is in store.
These casting additions are also a major sign of promise towards diversity, with several of the actors coming from different backgrounds. For instance, Rooney is of Scottish descent, Gatwa is Rwandan-Scottish, and Arya is English. That’s not to mention previous additions like Liu and Rae, who are Chinese-Canadian and African American, respectively. While it will ultimately come down to the screenplay and characters, creating a diverse cast like this is a very promising sign.
Related:Margot Robbie Promises Her ‘Barbie’ Movie Is “Going To Give You Something Totally Different”
Hollywood has been trying to get aBarbiefilm off the ground ever since the massive, unpredicted success of 2014’sThe Lego Movie. Sony originally had a claim on the project, withDiablo Cody(Juno),Amy Schumer, andAnne Hathawayall attached at different points. In October 2018, Sony’s option on the project expired and Warner Bros. grabbed it, with Robbie quickly signing on.Patty Jenkinswas initially viewed as a director until July 2021, when Gerwig signed on to direct. Previously, she was only attached to write the film.
Barbiebegan filming last month in the United Kingdom, and is expected to release in theaters next year.
