Unveiling Hollywood's Dirty Secrets: Inside Scoop on Barbie's Movie Exit and Lego Movie's Unexpected Obstacles

The original Barbie writer discusses her departure from the project and reveals the movie that caused an unexpected setback. The upcoming Barbie film, written by Greta Gerwig and her long-time creative partner and partner, Noah Baumbach, took a different path. Initially, Amy Schumer was set to star in a Barbie movie being developed by Columbia Pictures, with input from several writers including Diablo Cody, an Oscar winner.

Cody opens up to GQ about why her vision for Barbie did not come to fruition. She notes that the current Barbie subculture, which celebrates femininity, was not as prominent in 2014 when she first joined the project. Additionally, Cody felt pressure during the development process because the team continually referenced The LEGO Movie. She believed that movie's writing was exceptional, making it difficult to replicate its success. Here is the full quote from Cody:

I think I understand the reason behind my failure. Initially, when I was hired for this project, it seemed that the prevailing culture hadn't fully embraced the concepts of femme or bimbo as legitimate feminist archetypes. If you search for 'Barbie' on TikTok, you'll discover a fascinating subculture that celebrates femininity. However, back in 2014, transforming this slender, blonde, white doll into a heroic figure presented quite a challenge. Considering the feminist discourse of that time, the idea of an anti-Barbie made perfect sense. Unfortunately, I didn't have the creative freedom to stay true to Barbie's iconic image. They wanted a feminist twist on Barbie, focusing on a girl-boss persona, which simply didn't align with Barbie's essence. Throughout the development process, the constant comparisons to The Lego Movie posed a significant obstacle for me. Every time I attempted something meta, it resembled what they had already accomplished. It became a roadblock for my creativity. Nevertheless, enough time has passed that now, in a live-action Barbie movie, it wouldn't matter if they cast Will Ferrell, the antagonist from The Lego Movie, and nobody would bat an eye.

What A Diablo Cody Barbie Could Have Looked Like

Cody's rendition of Barbie would have differed greatly from the upcoming Gerwig adaptation. Cody gained widespread recognition for her Academy Award-winning screenplay for the critically acclaimed independent film Juno in 2007. Through Juno, she showcased her talent for crafting eccentric and scripted dialogue, exemplified by memorable lines like "That ain't no Etch a Sketch. That's one little doodle that can't be undid home-skillet." However, her writing always maintains an impeccable sense of humor.

Gerwig and Baumbach, on the other hand, are renowned for their more understated and realistic dialogue styles. Baumbach has explored the mumblecore genre with slice-of-life, conversational films like Frances Ha, which Gerwig also starred in and co-wrote. This may seem like an unexpected choice for them to direct Barbie, considering the movie's larger-than-life nature compared to their previous works like Lady Bird or Little Women.

Although Gerwig's version of Barbie appears to be a wild and extravagant experience based on the trailers, it is intriguing to imagine how Cody would have approached it. If she approached it in a similar manner as she did with Juno or her 2009 hit Jennifer's Body, Cody would have undoubtedly infused the film with her trademark stylized sarcasm and sardonic wit. While Cody's version of Barbie will never be realized, audiences will at least have the opportunity to see Gerwig's highly-anticipated rendition.

Source: GQ