Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Barbie!
Summary
- The Barbie movie went through significant changes during development, including different actresses being considered for the role of Barbie.
- Barbie’s success is attributed to the recognizable brand, massive cast, and the “Barbenheimer” phenomenon.
- The film almost included a post-credits scene with Helen Mirren, but it was ultimately scrapped as it would have been confusing and unnecessary.
The Barbie movie surprisingly has turned out to be one of the most critically acclaimed films of 2023, but eight aspects of the film were almost completely different, with several changes coming incredibly close to making the film much worse. To the surprise of many, director Greta Gerwig somehow managed to pull off the film, with its IP-based storyline, massive cast, wacky sets, and zany humor all coming together to convey a poignant message. Due to how cohesive the film is, any change to Barbie would have risked severely hurting the film, and these 8 ways that the Barbie movie was almost different could have done just that.
2023’s Barbie movie is one of the most financially successful films of the year, with it already making over $1 billion at the box office. With the help of massive stars, a recognizable name brand, and the “Barbenheimer” phenomenon, Barbie catapulted into success upon its release, with many fans attempting to read into the history of the successful film. As it turns out, the Barbie movie went through a ton of changes throughout development, with development on a live-action Barbie movie beginning all the way back in 2009. Throughout the years, Barbie went through a lot of changes, and here are the most significant ones.
8 Margot Robbie Wasn’t Always Going To Play Barbie
Margot Robbie plays the titular role in Barbie, with her performance as Stereotypical Barbie being key to the film’s success. However, Robbie wasn’t always the star of the film. Two other actresses almost played Barbie, with comedian Amy Schumer being the first one attached to the role. Schumer was set to play Barbie back in 2015, but due to scheduling conflicts and problems with the script, she left. Anne Hathaway then took over the role while Barbie was still a Sony project, but once Sony’s option timed out, Hathaway’s version of the project was canned. Margot Robbie then joined the Warner Bros. version, with her being the definitive Barbie.
7 Barbie Almost Included Helen Mirren’s Narrator In A Post-Credits Scene
Helen Mirren voices the narrator in Barbie, with her presence being constant throughout the film. However, she almost had an even bigger role. Early cuts of Barbie featured a post-credits scene in which Midge, the pregnant resident of Barbieland, finally gives birth. During this sequence, Helen Mirren walks in on the delivery, giving the actress a visual cameo alongside her voice role. However, this post-credits scene really wasn’t needed, and it wouldn’t have worked in the film. On top of not really adding anything, the ending of Barbie implies that Ruth Handler was the narrator, so featuring Helen Mirren in the flesh would have made this a bit confusing.
6 Michael Cera Wasn’t Always Going To Play Allan
Another character who wasn’t set in stone was Allan, the lovable awkward goofball who seems to be the only non-Ken man in Barbieland. In the final version of Barbie, Allan is played by Michael Cera, known for taking on characters that are awkward and uncomfortable. However, according to casting directors Lucy Bevan and Allison Jones, they originally approached Mindhunter actor Jonathan Groff for the role (via Deadline). However, Groff turned it down, leading them to pick Michael Cera. Cera’s personality is perfect for a role like Allan, whereas Jonathan Groff is too cool for such an awkward character, with him being much better suited for a Ken.
5 Barbie & Ken’s Original Designs Were Different
One of the oddest early details about Barbie was that Barbie and Ken’s designs were almost completely different. Due to Barbie and Ken being dolls, designs were made for Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling’s characters that prominently featured plastic. The characters would have had plastic hair, plastic seams, and plastic skin, although this was scrapped. This was because, since audiences see Barbie and Ken as beautiful, the film needed to portray them that way too. This change was a fantastic choice, as seeing half-flesh half-plastic actors on screen could have ended up being incredibly creepy, hurting the film in the end.
4 Barbie Almost Had A “Fart Opera”
One of the oddest details that have come out about the film since its release is that Barbie almost had a “fart opera.” This would have taken place in the middle of the movie, and although not much context has been given for the scrapped idea, director Greta Gerwig has confirmed that it was originally planned. Apparently, Greta Gerwig and editor Nick Houy have been trying to sneak a fart joke into one of their movies since Lady Bird, but they haven’t been successful yet. This incredibly odd moment could have come off too low-brow for the Barbie movie, as it sounds much grander than a simple fart joke.
3 Barbie Could Have Had Saoirse Ronan & Timothee Chalamet Cameos
Barbie features some cameos throughout the film, with John Cena’s Mermaid Ken and Rhea Perlman’s Ruth Handler being some of the most memorable parts of the movie. Originally, though, the film had even more cameos. It was originally intended for Barbie to have cameos from Saoirse Ronan and Timothee Chalamet, who both appeared in Gerwig’s previous films, Lady Bird and Little Women. While these are both great actors, and those are both great movies, cameos from the duo would have felt too self-referential, with many viewers most likely having not seen Gerwig’s previous films.
2 Gerwig & Baumbach Weren’t Always The Writers Of Barbie
Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach are the writers of Barbie, with the style of the powerhouse duo being what makes Barbie so great. Their clever and witty writing alongside the poignant political themes elevate Barbie into greatness, and its hard to imagine another writer pulling this off. Through Barbie‘s stages of development, other writers have been attached to the project, such as The Greatest Showman writer Jenny Bicks, Juno writer Diablo Cody, Ocean’s 8 writer Olivia Milch, and several others. While all talented writers, Gerwig and Baumbach are definitely the most prestigious writers to have been attached to Barbie.
1 The Old Woman Scene Was Nearly Cut Out Of Barbie
After arriving in the real world, Barbie sits on a bench with an old woman, with Barbie explaining that she realizes the beauty of this stranger. This moment is one of the most impactful in the entire film, with it really hitting home one of the central ideas of Barbie. However, Greta Gerwig has confirmed that it was originally suggested that she cut the Old Woman scene from Barbie. Luckily, she made the right call and refused to cut the scene, calling it “the heart of the movie.” The film wouldn’t have been nearly as powerful as it was without the old woman scene, which is why keeping it in Barbie was the correct choice.
