Barbie is a toy icon. She isn’t just one doll who owns pink posh cars, planes, and dream mansions. She’s also a doctor, an astronaut, a president, and more. And with so many different iterations and occupations, the newest Barbie trailer shows us how being Barbie can put you in an existential crisis.
“Barbie” stars Margot Robbie as its titular doll, with Ryan Gosling playing the himbo Ken. At least the two play the most memorable versions of those toys. As the trailer shows, there’s more than just one Barbie and Ken. And the multiple Barbies. There’s Issa Rae who plays President Barbie. Then there’s Alexandra Shipp who plays Writer Barbie. Emma Mackey is Physicist Barbie. Ana Cruz Kayne is Judge Barbie. Ritu Arya plays Journalist Barbie. Nicola Coughlan plays as Diplomat Barbie, with Dua Lipa as Mermaid Barbie. Then there’s Kate McKinnon as Gymnast Barbie, with Hari Nef as Doctor Barbie, and Sharon Rooney as Lawyer Barbie.
As we can see by the cast and the characters that they play, the film takes place in a utopia where everything is seemingly perfect and pink. A society where you are defined by your name and job title. Making the former a little difficult for any one of the toys who want to have their own identity or at least discovers that you aren’t the only one in the universe. But what makes this trailer so interesting is that it also addresses the body image issues the toys have upheld.
One of the brighter ideas that the film seems to be embracing is the idea that there are different Barbies who are capable of being a writer, physicist, judge, and more. But it looks like Ken is the one who is suffering from the identity crisis, not Barbie. And the trailer hints at some jealousy between the other Kens, some of whom are played by Simu Liu, Kinglsey Ben-Adir, Ncuti Gatwa, and Scott Evans.
As far as the rest of the cast, Will Ferrell plays as the toy CEO responsible for Barbie, Helen Mirren is the narrator, while America Ferrara and Ariana Greenblatt, Rhea Perlman, John Cena, and Marisa Abela are playing undisclosed roles.
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Directed by Greta Gerwig and written by Gerwig and Noah Baumbach, with “Brokeback Mountain’s” Rodrigo Prieto on cinematography and “Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio’s” Alexandre Desplat on score, The film opens in theaters on July 21, 2023.
Here’s the official plot synopsis:
“To live in Barbie Land is to be a perfect being in a perfect place. Unless you have a full-on existential crisis. Or you’re a Ken.”
