Simu Liu is joining Greta Gerwig’s ever-bizarre-sounding Barbie movie
Liu is set to join a cast that includes America Ferrera, Ryan Gosling, and Margot Robbie as Barbie herself
Aux News Greta Gerwig
Few upcoming projects on the Hollywood docket have produced more “Wait, what?”s from us than Greta Gerwig’s long-discussed live-action Barbie movie, a film that seems bound and determined to throw an increasing number of the industry’s biggest and most interesting talents at, well, a Barbie movie, and see if anyone bites.
We can now apparently add Shang-Chi star Simu Liu to that list, as THR reports that Liu is in negotiations to join a cast that also includes Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, and America Ferrera. Given that we know basically nothing about what Gerwig and co-writer Noah Baumbach have cooked up for America’s favorite plastic lady, we have no idea as of yet who Liu will be playing. (If we had to guess: One of the members of Ken’s anatomically incorrect entourage.)
Which raises the same question that always comes up when news about this film percolates into our ears: Wait, what?
So far, all we really know about this movie is that Robbie is playing Barbie (and producing) and that Gosling is playing Ken. We can infer a few things from the simple fact that Gerwig and Baumbach are interested in the property—it feels unlikely, for instance, that the live-action movie will serve as a direct sequel to existing Barbie film properties Barbie: Spy Squad (2016) or 2018's Barbie: Dolphin Magic. But beyond that, the tone on this thing is probably going to be wild; the best you can really say at this point is that whatever pitch Gerwig and Baumbach are sitting on is strong enough to continue to draw in big-name talent.
Liu is, obviously, currently rising on the strength of a charismatic lead performance in Shang-Chi, which did pandemic-good numbers for Disney earlier this year. THR notes that the former Kim’s Convenience star has at least two other movies he’s already filmed and which are now waiting for release, including Arthur The King with Mark Wahlberg, and One True Love with Hamilton’s Phillipa Soo.
25 Comments
It’s really just minor Mattel.
What if we’ve made a huge mistake about what it is really about and it isn’t about the doll Barbie but rather about the infamous Nazi Klaus?
Or perhaps 1980’s vintage jabroni Dave Barbie.
Margot Robbie would be a shoo-in for an Oscar if she pulled off playing Klaus Barbie.
“Arthur the King starring Mark Wahlberg”Oh. Ohhhhh nooooo.
Having never heard of Mikael Lindhnord, finding out it’s not a Sword in the Stone reboot with Mark Wahlberg as Merlin has me sharing your dismay.
“so’s alls I gots to do is pull that theyah swahd from the fahkin’ rawk and I’m fahkin king? Bulllll shiiiiit.”
My first impression was they cast him as Merlin.YA PULLED TA SWOAHD OUTTA THE STONE KEHD FULFILLIN ALL SORTSA ANCIENT PROPHECIES FROM LONG AGO KEHD! THIS IS ESTABLISHED PROPHECY WE GOTTA FULFILL!
:::8 seconds of Wahlberg staring at camera with confused look on his face:::
This is one medieval mess, kehd!Honestly, it’s time Hollywood finally miscasts Mark Wahlberg in the right ways.
It’s a dog movie, not about King Arthur.https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10720352/
Simu Liu is a braver man than I am. If I were an Asian actor I’d be, uh, hesitant to get too close to Wahlberg.
Simu Liu is one sexy man.
And thus perfectly cast for a movie based on genital-less plastic dolls.
I wish Greta Gerwig all the success in this endeavor. Hopefully it’ll take off and we can finally get the Dolphin Magic sequel we’ve been waiting for. That is not a story you can tell in only 63 minutes.
Maybe Simu is playing Ken?Regarding Ms. Robbie, it’s interesting– I’d have figured Mattel would be going for a college-aged Barbie for a feature film. But I’m not offended. I’m very sure this will also be rated G… right?
Gosling had been announced as Ken a while back.
Unless it’s a “gritty, edgy origin story”
The final line of the movie will be leading up to her being called “Barbie” for the first time, but then just go to credits while leaving it hanging. Then the mid-credits sequence will be something with Kesha as Bizarrbie.
After she’s just shot Mr White in the kneecap.
Maybe he’s playing Ryu. Oh, wait – wrong Ken-related franchise.
An Asian guy makes a Barbie movie weirder. COOL.
They’ll strip me of my Canadian citizenship for this one, but: Simu Liu has zero charisma and it’s insane that we don’t talk about it!
IDK, in the “making of” Shang-Chi episodes of Assembled on Disney Plus, Simu Liu actually comes across as a lot more charming and charismatic than he does in the actual film, Shang-Chi.
They have Samara Weaving in cold storage in case anything happens to Margot Robbie before filming wraps.