Barbie lead Margot Robbie has revealed that the cast and crew of Fast X were just as intrigued in seeing the eponymous doll's journey from Barbieland to real life as viewers are.
Speaking alongside her Barbie castmates and director Greta Gerwig during CinemaCon, Robbie said other movies were shot on nearby sound stages during the production of the upcoming fantasy comedy flick, including the soon-to-be-released Fast & Furious sequel. Because they were so close to the Barbie set, Fast X stars and crew members took the opportunity to visit, bringing a more upbeat vibe to filming. "You've never seen so many grown men find excuses to come to set,” Robbie said. "It was like a dopamine hit. You were instantly happy, and we felt that every day."
Robbie and co-star Ryan Gosling, who plays Ken, were decked out in pink outfits at CinemaCon to celebrate the pending release of Barbie, the first live-action film featuring the titular Mattel fashion doll. According to Barbie's synopsis, the film sees the titular character banished from Barbieland for lacking "perfectness," leading her to seek acceptance and happiness from the human world. With the film's recent teaser trailer likening Barbie's storyline to The Wizard of Oz, Gosling played into the comparisons, joking that he "finally knew what Dorothy felt like" when stepping foot on the Barbie set.
Fast X and Barbie are two of the most anticipated summer blockbusters of 2023, with a study by online movie ticketing service Fandango placing the films sixth and and seventh on the list, which was topped by Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. The films come in with different expectations, however, considering Gerwig's admission she feared Barbie could be a career-ender for her as a director while Robbie initially thought the movie would never get made. Although Barbie is the beginning of a potential live-action series, Fast X is the first of a two-part closer to the Fast & Furious franchise, starring Vin Diesel and Jason Momoa, boasting one of filmmaking's most expensive budgets ever with a $340 million price tag. In contrast, Barbie's production budget totaled $100 million.
Barbie Hits Theaters in July
Robbie and Gosling's Barbie and Ken will be flanked by different versions of the main characters, with Issa Rae, Dua Lipa, Kate McKinnon and several others playing variations of Barbie, while Simu Liu and Ncuti Gatwa are among the diverse Kens that will feature. Additionally, Fast & Furious franchise and The Suicide Squad star John Cena had been added to the cast as a mermaid version of Ken. Liu revealed Barbie's main theme centers around themes of diversity and inclusiveness, encouraging people with different looks and backgrounds to embrace their best selves.
Also featuring Will Ferrell as the CEO of Mattel, Barbie is a film that's been long in the making. The movie was initially announced in 2009 by Universal Pictures, but was delayed when Sony Pictures acquired the rights in 2014. Following a slew of production changes, including the exiting of directors and writers, Warner Bros. Pictures scored the rights to Barbie from Sony, with Robbie confirmed as the film's lead in 2019 and Gerwig made the helmer in 2021. Robbie also serves as executive producer.
Barbie opens in theaters on July 21.
Source: CinemaCon, via The Hollywood Reporter