Mattel’s making a live-action Barbie film

AFTER more than a decade of trying, Mattel is making another run at taking Barbie to the big screen.

A live-action film based on the toymaker’s biggest brand will star Margot Robbie, who was nominated for an Academy Award last year for her role in I, Tonya.

Mattel Films – a division created last year – and Robbie’s Luckychap Entertainment Banner will co-produce the movie. Warner Bros Pictures is the distributor.

The deal comes after failed attempts to turn the almost 60-yearold brand into a film franchise

– a strategy rival Hasbro used with Transformers and My Little Pony to help it overtake Mattel in revenue.

Mattel has struggled to get

Barbie projects off the ground: Most recently, a film to star comedian Amy Schumer was scrapped in 2017. But when Ynon Kreiz, a Hollywood veteran, became Mattel’s chief executive last year, he vowed to create more entertainment.

“Mattel Films is on a path to demonstrate the enormous potential of our brand portfolio,” Kreiz said.

The movie, which doesn’t have a public release date, will be a chance for Mattel to keep updating the brand to deal with parents’ preferences. The company wants to counteract criticism that Barbie promotes negative stereotypes and presents children with images of impossible body proportions.

Mattel has addressed the complaints by releasing new dolls sizes – including curvy – and refocusing content on Barbie’s many careers and being a savvy elder sister. This has helped Barbie rebound after years of decline. | Washington Post