Barbie has found her Ken.

La La Land and Blade Runner 2049 star Ryan Gosling is reportedly set to play the titular doll's male companion in the upcoming Barbie live-action film. Per Deadline, Gosling is in final negotiations to star in the feature, which boasts Margot Robbie in the lead role and Oscar winner Greta Gerwig (Little Women) in the director's chair. Gerwig co-wrote the script with Noah Baumbach (Marriage Story).

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Gosling was apparently the studio's first and only choice to play the part. Despite originally turning it down, the studio dragged its feet during pre-production and remained insistent that Gosling was the only one for the role. When an opening appeared in Gosling's schedule, he finally agreed to sign on.

First announced in 2014, the Barbie live-action film has seen several possible iterations. First proposed by parent company Mattel and Sony Pictures, Amy Schumer was originally set to star in a new take on the archetypal doll from screenwriter Diablo Cody (Juno). Anne Hathaway signed on after Schumer dropped out due to scheduling conflicts, but the film soon lost Hathaway as well, and it descended into development hell. Rights reverted back to Mattel in 2018, and the company decided to instead partner with Warner Bros. Margot Robbie was confirmed for the lead role in 2019, and the film began pre-production. With its Ken now in place, the production hopes to begin filming in early 2022 for a 2023 release.

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Barbie first appeared on toy store shelves in 1959 from creator Ruth Handler. The Barbie brand evolved into a household name in the subsequent decades, with Mattel selling more than a billion Barbie dolls to date. Ken was introduced as Barbie's boyfriend in 1961, and their public relationship has gone through ups and downs over the years. Barbie has starred in a vast universe of animated films and videos but has yet to appear on the big screen in live action.

Despite its popularity, the Barbie brand has been denounced repeatedly over the years for promoting unrealistic body image expectations for girls, as well as a lack of diversity in its dolls. Mattel has made a notable push to combat this controversial history in recent years with efforts like its 2018 Role Model line for International Women's Day, though sales have been in decline since the mid-2010s. Earlier this year, Robbie acknowledged the challenges involved with bringing Barbie to life. "Right, it comes with a lot of baggage!" she said. "And a lot of nostalgic connections. But with that come a lot of exciting ways to attack it."

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Source: Deadline