The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Mattel’s making a live-action Barbie movie
After more than a decade of trying, Mattel Inc. 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 a series of failed attempts to turn the almost 60-year-old brand into a film franchise — a strategy that 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 CEO last year, he vowed to create more entertainment around Mattel’s intellectual property.
“Mattel Films is on a path to demonstrate the enormous potential of our brand portfolio,” Kreiz said in a statement.
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 California-based company wants to counteract criticism that Barbie promotes negative stereotypes and presents children with images of impossible body proportions.
Mattel has addressed those complaints by releasing new dolls sizes — including curvy — and refocusing content on Barbie’s many careers and being a savvy older sister. This has helped Barbie rebound after years of decline, with the brand posting four straight quarters of revenue gains.