The Classic Toy Comes to Life

I don’t know what I was expecting from the first trailer for Barbie… but it definitely wasn’t 2001: A Space Odyssey jokes.

But they work! They kill, in fact. The teaser for Barbie, based on the classic line of dolls and co-written and directed by Lady Bird and Little Women filmmaker Greta Gerwig, is here, and it is wild. The first half sends up the opening sequence of 2001; the second half features Margot Robbie as Barbie, Ryan Gosling as Ken, in a kaleidoscopic wonderland of Dreamhouses and a million other Barbie playsets and accessories. It really does look like the toy come to life.

Watch the teaser below:

I can’t wait to show this trailer to my Barbie-loving five-year-old, and then to force her to watch 2001: A Space Odyssey with me so she understands what the heck is going on here. (“No, I don’t care if you’re bored, you need to get the references in Barbie! Sit down! We are going beyond the infinite!”)

Beyond the fact that they seem to have brought the look of the dolls and their accessories and toys to life in a kind of incredible way, the trailer also suggests Barbie isn’t just some excuse to sell a bunch of dolls. (Although I am sure it will do that too.) As you would hope from a director of Gerwig’s stature, the movie seems to be looking at the very idea of Barbie and all that she has represented down through the decades.

Here are some more images from Barbie:

Barbie doesn’t have an official synopsis yet – but the movie is currently scheduled to open in theaters in Summer 2023.