Greta Gerwig once thought Barbie could end her career
Appearing on Dua Lipa's podcast, Greta Gerwig expressed some reservations about making a movie about a doll that drives a Corvette
Aux News Greta Gerwig
One of this generation’s great new directors, Greta Gerwig did what any normal filmmaker would do after re-inventing Louisa May Alcott’s timeless classic Little Women: She signed up to direct Barbie. It’s a classic “one for me, one for you.” Adapt one of the most beloved pieces of literature before making a movie about a plastic doll that drives a sports car. There’s no business like show business.
But it doesn’t sound like she thought it was all that great of an idea, either. Appearing on the latest episode of Dua Lipa’s At Your Service podcast, Gerwig discussed why she thought Barbie would be a “career-ender.”
“It was something that was exciting because it was terrifying,” Gerwig said. “I think that was a big part of it, like: ‘Oh, no, Barbie.’”
Oh, no, Barbie, indeed. Sure, they made a movie out of Battleship (a movie that we’re all still talking about, obsessing over, and eagerly awaiting the sequel to), but Barbie? She doesn’t even have opposable joints! But Gerwig knows what she’s doing. After all, She made Lady Bird.
Gerwig continued:
“It felt like vertigo, starting to write it, like: ‘Where do you even begin, and what would be the story?’ And I think it was that feeling I had was knowing that it would be really interesting terror. Usually that’s where the best stuff is, where you’re like, ‘I am terrified of that.’ Anything where you’re like, ‘This could be a career-ender’ — then you’re like, ‘I should probably do it.’”
Of course, had Gerwig seen the photos of Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling rollerblading in Day-Glo unitards, she probably wouldn’t have been so worried. Honestly, it seemed as though everyone stopped worrying and learned to love Barbie as soon as Robbie pulled up in that pink Corvette.
We look forward to finding out what the plot of Barbie is when it lands in theaters next year.
[via The Hollywood Reporter]
31 Comments
Sure, they made a movie out of Battleship (a movie that we’re all still talking about, obsessing over, and eagerly awaiting the sequel to),
We are?Oh, ooohhhh, sarcasm, I get it now!
I’ve said this before in regards to actors, but filmmakers produce much better work when instead of phoning it in because they feel like the material’s beneath them, they give it their all regardless.Hopefully this attitude will stop being a refreshing sight, and instead be the norm.
If they are given the freedom to do so, yeah. Unfortunately with big budget releases, we never know if they are given control or are being interfered with, unless there are leaks, since everyone is laser focused on turning a profit. It’s only after the release we learn how production actually went down.
I think with this movie in particular the only answer was to go all-in gonzo because a straight-up movie about Barbie as we know her would either be a kids’ movie or send adults into insulin comas.
I know as an adult male this movie isn’t for me, but who is this for? I don’t even see Barbie commercials on tv anymore. Is this meant to cater to adult women’s nostalgia over the doll? Are little kids of the current generation craving a Barbie movie?
The only ways I can see going with this would be something utterly irresistible like Clueless or Legally Blonde (an incredibly difficult feat), a meta commentary on Barbie in the real world (like the Brady Bunch movies), or just completely subversive dark humor. I’m hoping for the latter.
I am guessing it’s going to be Zoolander meets Josie and the Pussycats, a strange cultural parody of consumism that is 100% a part of the culture it is attacking.
Of course, when scrutinized, that is far less a “pithy insight about filmmaking” than a “banal and overwhelmingly obvious statement that applies to each and every human endeavor, ever.”
And yet it still needs to be said, I think.
You’ve gotta love elevated cheese. For an earlier example see the original Clash of the Titans in which Shakespearean actors share the screen with ingenious old school Harryhausen effects and make a movie that could have been an utter nothing into pure pleasure.
the movie isn’t out yet it still can, man!
Hey, it still might!
If Barbie has taught us nothing else, it’s that you can bounce back from a career ender. Often as a veterinarian, tennis pro, or astronaut.
So Barbie is basically a sexier Homer Simpson, I guess.
“Then they told me how much money I would get”
So kudos to her for doing something that she knew was stupid I guess?It does seem like she kind of pulls it off though, within the limitations of it being a movie about Barbie
They’ve been talking about this movie for so long I thought it had already been released.
Using the words “career ender” in relation to a filmmaker who has made TWO movies is a little silly.Especially when M Night is still around making shit.
I don’t think it would end her acting or even writing career, but the business is much, much, much more forgiving for male directors’ bombs than females’, so a directing career? — mmmm maybe.An exception that proves the rule is probably Sophia Coppola, but that might be because her work isn’t usually terribly expensive by filmmaking standards.
Does anyone believe that the mild at best reactions to Don’t Worry Darling are going to stop Olivia Wilde? Karyn Kusama made Aeon Flux and Jennifer’s Body. She’s still working. Catherine Hardwicke made Red Riding Hood. Still working.The lack of female directors *in general* means that we’re more aware of when these “career ending” bombs happen. But Gerwig has earned a TON of praise for the two movies she’s made so far AND she’s a known quantity as a writer and actress. There’s just no way that Barbie could have “killed” her career. And again, *two movies*. Is that a directing “career”?Peele gets the same kind of hyperbolic weirdness. If every movie he puts out isn’t a massive, world-changing hit people are going to act like he’s in danger of losing his career. It’s dumb and unfair in every sense. People who praise the shit out of him have unfair expectations. People who knock everything he does ALSO have unfair expectations.Let these people actually make some movies and develop an actual “career” to threaten. And even then, fuckin relax. It’s not a real threat except to low-level indie weirdos who don’t get any buzz anyway. Gerwig will be fine.
Sadly, female directors are given MUCH less leeway in regards to failure than their male counter parts. Just ask Patti Jenkins, Kathryn Bigelow and Lexi Alexander. One or two flops and boom, you’re out. Meanwhile M. Night gets as many tries as he wants.
Patti Jenkins is still working. Are we considering WW84 a flop? Because she’s in pre-production on WW3 and is attached to Rogue Squadron. What was Bigelow’s flop? Detroit? Fair enough, I guess. Although reading through the reviews of that film it doesn’t seem like anyone thinks she’s done for. And again, she’s in pre-production on a future project. Bigelow also does a fair bit of producing so maybe she’s just busy? Lexi Alexander is… guess what… still working. She’s got a martial arts movie in post right now and has done a bunch of TV directing.None of that is to say that their opportunities are AS WELL FINANCED as an M Night. I’m not denying that sexism exists. I’m denying that “career ending” bombs are really a thing.
I guess I think of someone like Elaine May. I think Charles Laughton chose to quit because he was so discouraged (and I’m reaching back quite a way there), so maybe financial disappointments aren’t as rough on some careers as I’m prone to think of them. — and the upside is that it’s much less likely Madonna will direct again (unless he self-finances a production). — and Joan Rivers has passed, I could Google?
I think it also depends on what these directors do outside of directing. Like Olivia Wilde will continue to be fine because she’s got star power from her acting gigs and despite the drama around DWD she still has a LOT of goodwill from Booksmart. (And she’s wealthy outside of Hollywood.) Gerwig has her acting and her screenwriting and all sorts of buzz. Some of them produce, which keeps the career going. We also live in a social media age so you can keep yourself busy self-promoting without the mainstream studio system to prop you up.If Barbie was a total failure I might see it *hurting* Gerwig, especially if the failure was critical and it indulged in a lot of crass commercialism. But clearly she has a particular voice and vision for the character’s exploits. And it’s such a left field project if it DID fail I don’t know if anyone would look at her differently.I get her point that it was a risk for her to take on THIS particular IP. But the risk was, IMO, pretty minimal.
“What was Bigelow’s flop?”That’s the point: she didn’t even flop! But in 14 years since winning a Best Director Oscar she’s made only 2 movies.
But we’re talking about career risks. Not generally lack of opportunity. If that’s even the issue. Again, Bigelow produces as well as directs. MY point was that it’s *unlikely* that Barbie could have really tanked Gerwig’s career.
She has directed two films but was almost certainly an important creative force in all those mumblecore movies she was in as well.
Yeah, she’s a pretty solid screenwriter if you like stories heavy on dialogue and hanging out with characters. I didn’t mean to imply that her career *generally* was only two movies. Just that her *directing* career is only two movies.(FWIW I hate mumblecore but she’s undeniably good at writing it.)
I mean…it still could