One of the big questions surrounding Greta Gerwig’s upcoming Barbie movie is how progressive her take on the iconic and somewhat controversial toy will be.
The film has already earned praise on social media for its diverse representation of the canonically white, tall, and hourglass-shaped dolls—not to mention its hilarious sidelining of Barbie’s male love interest, Ken. However, a new feature about the making of Barbie suggests that the predicted blockbuster may not be as radical as fans have been led to believe.
This week’s Time cover story features Gerwig and some of the female cast, as they discuss the film. But it also includes the executive producer of Mattel Films, Robbie Brenner, who surprisingly revealed that Barbie is “not a feminist movie.” Apparently, this sentiment was “echoed by other Mattel executives” that writer Eliana Dockertman spoke to for the story.
When the film’s main Barbie and executive producer, Margot Robbie, was asked about Renner’s comment, the actress seemed caught off guard. “Who said that?” she asked. “It’s not that it is or it isn’t. It’s a movie. It’s a movie that’s got so much in it.
“We’re in on the joke,” Robbie continued. “This isn’t a Barbie puff piece.”
Robbie and her co-stars, including Issa Rae and Hari Nef, alluded to the film being self-aware and critical in its approach to the hyperfeminine doll throughout the piece. However, Mattel’s president and COO Richard Dickson suggested that Gerwig’s version of the film still honors the “brand’s authenticity,” when explaining why Amy Schumer’s previously announced version never came to fruition. In a recent Watch What Happens Live interview, the comedian stated that the project she was attached to wasn’t “feminist and cool.”
Still, Mattel apparently had some reservations about Gerwig’s direction. Dickson revealed to Time that he took a flight to the movie’s set in London, “to argue with Gerwig and Robbie over a particular scene” that felt “off-brand.” The women ultimately had to act it out for him to change his mind. Robbie admitted that “the nuance wasn’t there,” when simply reading the scene in the script.
These behind-the-scenes revelations run counter to what Gerwig has previously stated about her experience making the film. When the Oscar nominee appeared on Dua Lipa’s At Your Service podcast last November, she spoke about the “trust and freedom” Mattel offered her.
"Whatever we wanted it to be, they did not try to micromanage it,” Gerwig said at the time. “They were completely onboard as partners, and that was extraordinary."
Maybe Gerwig was referring to the literal flight Dickson took to confront her about a scene. All in all, it appears that the director and other parties involved seem satisfied with the final product. Whether audiences will is yet to be determined: Barbie hits theaters July 21.
