Before Margot Robbie, Amy Schumer was almost finalized to play Barbie! (Photo Credit – Instagram)
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Amy Schumer was almost the quintessential Barbie. Back in 2016, she was set to play the iconic doll in a film penned by Juno writer Diablo Cody. But fast forward to 2017, Amy Schumer bowed out of the project due to what was initially termed as “scheduling conflicts.” It turns out, though, the real reason was a bit more colorful.
Amy Schumer revisited the Barbie world, this time as an audience member. After catching a double feature of Barbie and Oppenheimer (aka Barbenheimer), she took to Instagram to share her thoughts. Posing in an oversized straw hat and rosy pink sunglasses, Amy Schumer joked, “Really enjoyed Barbie and Oppenheimer but I think I should have played Emily Blunt’s role. Do better Hollywood.”
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During a June episode of Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen, Amy Schumer expressed her eagerness to see Barbie, saying, “I think it looks awesome.” She admitted her departure was more about creative differences than logistics, revealing, “I think we said it was scheduling conflicts. But it really was just like, creative differences.”
Amy Schumer had a specific vision for Barbie as an “inventor,” but the studio’s idea of a gelatin shoe didn’t align with her creative direction. “The idea that that’s just what every woman must want, right there, I should have gone, ‘You’ve got the wrong gal,’” she quipped.
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In 2019, Margot Robbie was officially cast as Barbie, and the film went on to a fantastic $162 million domestic opening. Schumer seems to be on board with the final product, proving that whether in Jell-O shoes or not, life in plastic is still quite fantastic.
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Oscar Nods and Big Screen Magic: Barbie Returns for a Limited Theatrical Run
Barbie grabbed eight Oscar nominations, including Best Picture and supporting acting nods for Ryan Gosling and America Ferrera. Warner Bros.’ Jeff Goldstein and Andrew Cripps raved, “We’ve never seen anything like the absolute cultural phenomenon that is Barbie.” They praised Greta Gerwig’s vision, calling it a “must-go, must-see, must-wear-pink cinematic experience—a brilliantly subversive commentary on our society.”
But that’s not all. The statement continued, “Greta and the film’s crew, including Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, and America Ferrera, delivered a film that’s gonna be talked about for years. We’re stoked to have it in Warner’s library of classics and excited to give everyone another chance to catch Barbie on the big screen.”
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Since its July 21, 2023 debut, Barbie has kept the buzz going. Two months later, it had a one-week Imax run with exclusive post-credits footage chosen by Gerwig herself.
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With a jaw-dropping $1.4B global box office haul, Barbie is Warner Bros.’ highest-grossing film ever and the top film directed by a solo female director.
