Summary
The original designs for the Barbie movie had to be scrapped for being too much like the original toys.
Removing the plastic aesthetic was a smart decision to uphold the film's core message. Barbie can fully embrace her plastic identity while still embodying creativity and realism, as exemplified by the character's widely shared arched feet scene.
The original designs for the Barbie movie had to be discarded because they closely resembled the original toys. Based on the popular toy franchise, Barbie narrates the journey of Barbie (portrayed by Margot Robbie) and Ken (played by Ryan Gosling) as they explore the real world and navigate the challenges of life beyond Barbieland. With Barbie projected to surpass $1 billion in box office revenue this weekend, the film has been a box office sensation since its premiere, alongside Oppenheimer.
While Barbie embraces its identity as a toy-themed movie, it needed to slightly deviate to avoid an eerie semblance. A hairstylist and makeup artist for Barbie revealed to E! News that the initial designs had a more plastic-like appearance. Refer to her statement below:
After evaluating the designs, they had to discard the appearance and shift to the current designs, which aligned much better with Barbie's narrative. Plastic seams, skin, and hair simply didn't complement Robbie or the cinematic universe that director Greta Gerwig aimed to create.
Changing Barbie's Design Was Wise
Scraping fully fleshed-out designs can be challenging, but Barbie made a smart decision by avoiding the original appearance. While characters made entirely of plastic can work in animation or stop-motion films, they would have seemed completely absurd in a live-action Barbie movie. Such a choice would have detracted from the overall message and made Barbie and Ken stand out uncomfortably in the real world.
However, even if embracing Barbie's plastic nature is necessary, the film can do so without compromising its aesthetic. As demonstrated by the viral arched feet moment, Robbie showed that Barbie's feet could give the illusion of being made entirely of plastic simply through their movements. Despite the absence of plastic seams or skin, the character still appears to be completely plastic through these movements, rather than relying on makeup.
The aim of toy adaptations is often to stimulate imagination rather than mirror reality. Transformers movies do not focus on showing the toys getting stuck or appearing as mere plastic with movable parts. Instead, they depict what children can envision the toys doing during playtime: transforming into massive fighting robots and real cars. Barbie follows a similar approach by abandoning its original designs, guaranteeing that it always prioritizes creativity over realism.
