Paul Greengrass can direct this sort of ripped-from-the-headlines drama with one hand tied behind his back; he’s proved time and again that he’s capable of wringing real emotion out of human chaos.
Fortunately, ‘The Lost Bus’ finds him fully in control of his faculties as a filmmaker, keeping the focus sharp and largely side-stepping cliches like a bus careening away from falling power lines.
Script and Direction
Director Paul Greengrass on the set of ‘The Lost Bus,’ now streaming on Apple TV+.
Written by Brad Ingelsby (no stranger to either taught, tense drama or against-the-odds stories having created such projects as ‘Mare of Easttown’) and Greengrass, the new movie doesn’t seek to sensationalize the devastating events of the Camp Fire that tore through the town of Paradise in California and its environs, but keeps its eye largely on the occupants of the bus.
Greengrass near documentary style keeps things compelling as the disaster erupts around the community, stopping in on the fire fighting forces trying to tame the deadly blaze and those in charge of running the school bus system that proves vital to the evacuation.
Naturally, the focus is on the two leads and the kids aboard the bus, who all give good, naturalistic performances. A lot of weight is given early on to Kevin McKay’s (McConaughey) frustrations in life and fractured relationship with his son, but that’s mostly to provide drive for him as he seeks to save his young charges then get back to his own child.
But one other performance deserves a shout-out: Ashlie Atkinson, who is superb as Ruby, the manager/dispatcher at the bus depot, who initially clashes with Kevin, but soon shows her own spine of steels as the crisis worsens.
Final Thoughts
It might be a fairly standard version of the heroic small-town true story, but in Greengrass’ hands it’s scary, impressive and watchable.
Kudos also to the effects team, who bring the various fires to such vivid life you might feel yourself getting warm.
‘The Lost Bus’ receives 80 out of 100.
‘The Lost Bus,’ now streaming on Apple TV+.
What’s the story of ‘The Lost Bus’?
‘The Lost Bus’ is a white-knuckle ride through one of America’s deadliest wildfires as a wayward school bus driver (Matthew McConaughey) and a dedicated school teacher (America Ferrera) battle to save 22 children from the terrifying inferno.
Matthew McConaughey will star in new historical drama ‘The Rage.’
Paul Greengrass is directing.
It’s a reunion for the pair following the upcoming ‘The Lost Bus.’
Is Matthew McConaughey the new Matt Damon? No, we don’t mean he’s taking over Damon’s role as Jason Bourne… he’s instead become a repeat creative collaborator with writer/director Paul Greengrass, who worked with Damon on several films, including some of the ‘Bourne’ franchise.
McConaughey, meanwhile, starred for Greengrass in wildfire drama ‘The Lost Bus’ (more on that below), and is now in talks to take another leading role, this time in history-based drama ‘The Rage.’
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According to Deadline, McConaughey will play a key figure in the new movie, which Greengrass is gearing up to direct next.
It’s certainly in keeping with much of Greengrass’ work, which outside of the ‘Bourne’ films, often focuses on real-life events and high drama.
Matthew McConaughey arrives on the red carpet of The 90th Oscars® at the Dolby® Theatre in Hollywood, CA on Sunday, March 4, 2018. Credit/Provider: Scott Diussa / A.M.P.A.S. Copyright: A.M.P.A.S.
The new movie, which Greengrass also wrote, is set to take place during the Peasants’ Revolt, a major uprising that took part across large parts of England in 1381 in response to socio-economic and political tensions and high taxation.
McConaughey is on for the role to play a farmer who becomes the leader of the revolt (which could indicate that he’s playing the legendary Wat Tyler, who led the uprising before being killed by forces loyal to King Richard, but that has yet to be confirmed).
Interestingly, the former title of the movie was ‘The Hood,’ since Tyler is one of the real-life people that has been taken as inspiration for the legend of Robin Hood (whose historical provenance is somewhat cloudier).
This is not the first incarnation of the movie; Greengrass previously set it up in 2022 with Benedict Cumberbatch attached to the Tyler role, and FilmNation (which is still aboard to represent the movie) had the rights for sale at that year’s Cannes Film Festival.
What is ‘The Lost Bus’?
Matthew McConaughey backstage during the live ABC Telecast of The 90th Oscars® at the Dolby® Theatre in Hollywood, CA on Sunday, March 4, 2018. Credit/Provider: Matt Sayles / A.M.P.A.S. Copyright: A.M.P.A.S.
‘The Lost Bus’ has been a passion project for Jamie Lee Curtis since 2022, after hearing Lizzie Johnson talk about her book ‘Paradise: One Town’s Struggle to Survive an American Wildfire’ on the Camp Fire situation in an NPR interview. She investigated the rights and set it up with Blumhouse, where her Comet Pictures company has a first-look deal.
It follows heroic bus driver Kevin McKay (McConaughey in the film) and school teacher Mary Ludwig (America Ferrera), who helped navigate a bus full of children through the deadly wildfire as the town of Paradise in California is caught in the destruction and chaos. The fire destroyed most of the mountain town and killed 85.
‘Out Of The Furnace’s Brad Ingelsby adapted the script based on the book, and Greengrass came aboard as director in 2023.
Despite delays due to the strikes, it shot last year and seems certain to have particular resonance this year following the devastating fires in the territory north of Los Angeles.
This movie follows a young woman named Kateri (Angelina LookingGlass), whose life takes a tragic turn when she loses her mother and leaves foster care.
Reuniting with her former foster parent, Amziah (McConaughey), changes everything: he becomes her mentor, revealing hidden skills when a devastating situation arises. Kateri relies on her newfound strength to seek justice.
‘The Rivals of Amziah King’ will premiere at this year’s SXSW festival in March.
But that’s not all that McConaughey is attached to: he’s also preparing to star in Apple TV+ comedy series which was formerly known as ‘Brother from Another Mother’ (but is listed as untitled right now) alongside old pal Woody Harrelson.
The 10-episode half-hour Apple TV+ comedy from ‘The Big Door Prize’ showrunner David West Read reunites Harrelson and McConaughey, who play heightened versions of themselves in a heartfelt odd couple love story revolving around their strange and beautiful sibling-like bond.
Matthew and Woody’s close friendship is tested when their combined families attempt to live together on Matthew’s ranch in Texas. Break out the bongs –– and the bongos –– and let the bonding commence!
Deadline brings word that Holland Taylor is now aboard the show as a fellow regular, playing McConaughey’s mother, Ma Mac.
Taylor, a veteran of stage and screen, was most recently seen in the likes of ‘Quiz Lady’ and scored her ninth Emmy nomination for her role in one of Apple’s big TV series ‘The Morning Show.’
When will ‘The Rage’ be in theaters?
‘The Rage’ is a project currently looking for a buyer, and its rights will be on sale at this year’s European Film Market in Berlin, so there is no release date to speak of as of yet.
On the other hand, ‘The Lost Bus’ will arrive this year via Apple (whether that means it hits theaters or goes straight to Apple TV+ remains to be seen).
Matthew McConaughey in ‘The Gentlemen.’ Photo: STX films.
The ‘Barbie’ actor is to direct ‘I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter’.
The movie is based on a novel by Erika Sánchez.
America Ferrera is certainly having a moment. An Oscar nominee for her excellent performance in ‘Barbie’ (featuring one of the most repeated and meme-able speeches in recent memory), she’s also seen her plan to start directing movies take a positive step forward.
‘I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter’, to which she has been attached as director for a couple of years now (more on that below), is set up at AmazonMGM Studios’ Orion Pictures. It’ll follow her small screen experience handling episodes of TV ‘Gentefied’ and ‘Superstore’.
What’s the story of ‘I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter’?
America Ferrera attends the World Premiere of ‘Barbie’ at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, CA. Photo Credit: Eric Charbonneau.
The story for the movie is drawn from Erika Sánchez’s New York Times bestselling novel, which follows Julia Reyes, a teen with a sharp tongue, a fierce wit and big dreams of becoming a famous writer, somewhere far, far away from Chicago and her traditional Mexican immigrant parents who just can’t understand her love for Whitman, Dickinson and the Ramones.
They wish she was more like Olga, Julia’s sister, now eternally perfect since her tragic death. As Julia seeks to break free of her oppressive home, she tries to uncover her sister’s truth, and in the process gains a deep understanding of the wounds her family carries.
Linda Yvette Chávez, who also wrote last year’s ‘Flamin’ Hot’ (and worked with Ferrera on ‘Gentefied’), is on script duty for the movie.
What has happened to ‘I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter’ so far?
America Ferrera at the ‘Barbie’ special screening and Q&A at Linwood Dunn Theater in Hollywood. Photo Credit: Eric Charbonneau.
This is not the first time the book has been set up with Ferrera attached to direct. Back in 2021, Netflix took the rights for the film with Ferrera involved, but it ultimately got stuck in development limbo.
Here’s what Ferrera said at the time:
“Years ago, I fell in love with Erika L. Sánchez’ stunning novel, ‘I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter’. The depth, wit and searing intelligence of her writing, and her young Latina heroine, struck me to my core and left me wanting so much more. I am truly honored and humbled to direct Linda Yvette Chávez’s beautifully adapted screenplay. The opportunity to direct the work of these two incredibly talented Latina writers is a dream come true. I can’t wait to share this film with the many fans of the novel, and to introduce this funny, profound, and resonant story to the world.”
What’s next for America Ferrera?
America Ferrera at the ‘Barbie’ Sydney Photo Call. Photo Credit: Caroline McCredie Photography.
Though her post-‘Barbie’ time is likely to be taken up with this more than anything, Ferrera has a few other projects in the works as a producer including a TV series and several TV movies. She’ll be heard in Pixar’s 2025 sci-fi movie ‘Elio’, playing the mother of the title character, a boy who mistakenly becomes the chosen one to be Earth’s galactic ambassador.
America Ferrera attends a ‘Barbie’ Fan Event in Seoul, Korea. Photo Credit: Chang Ho.
In theaters everywhere on September 29th, ‘Dumb Money’ is a funny, sharp satire of the GameStop stock story, which had people gripped in early 2021.
Following what happened when “retail investors” seized upon the idea of driving up the value of the games store and Wall Street’s reaction, it’s an entertaining true account of one of the most fascinating financial stories of the last decade.
‘Dumb Money’ is the ultimate David vs. Goliath tale, based on the insane true story of everyday people who flipped the script on Wall Street and got rich by turning GameStop (yes, the mall videogame store) into the world’s hottest company.
In the middle of everything is regular guy Keith Gill (Paul Dano), who starts it all by sinking his life savings into the stock and posting about it.
When his social posts start blowing up, so does his life and the lives of everyone following him. As a stock tip becomes a movement, everyone gets rich –– until the billionaires fight back, and both sides find their worlds turned upside down.
In some ways, ‘Dumb Money’ feels like a companion piece to Hulu’s ‘Pam & Tommy’ from earlier this year, though that might primarily be thanks to the presence of Rogen, Offerman and Stan in front of the camera, and director Craig Gillespie behind it (Gillespie was a producer and director for the series).
But in several ways, it is much better than that show, since it chronicles a subject that doesn’t haven’t such personal, painful ramifications as for Pamela Anderson. It also tells its story in more compact form.
Gillespie, here working from a script by Lauren Schuker Blum and Rebecca Angelo (who first met as reporters on the Wall Street Journal and have several TV series under their combined belts, and adapted Ben Mezrich’s book ‘The Antisocial Network’), dials down on what really made the Gamestop stop impactful, as well as drawing out real laughs from certain moments.
A big positive for the movie was widening the scope beyond the story of Keith Gill and the billionaires whose world he disrupted with his YouTube channel and Reddit posts.
Smaller personal stories such as those of GameStop employee Marcus, college students Riri (Herrold) and Harmony (Ryder) and nurse Jenny (Ferrera), help to explain the central narrative while letting the solid performers (Ferrera is especially good, and between this and ‘Barbie’ it proves she deserves many more opportunities to shine).
Which is not to say that Dano isn’t fantastic as Keith, who posts under the name “Roaring Kitty” and is using his financial analyst smarts to advise others and take big share bets himself. As his on-screen fortune (and infamy grow), Dano and co-star Woodley (as his wife, Caroline), offer up a compelling portrait of a couple confronting an outrageous situation.
On the hedge fund side, Rogen is particularly good as Gabe Plotkin, who has risen from humble beginnings to run a hedge fun dealing in the billions. He’s certainly let the power that money has brought go to his head and is introduced yelling on the phone at a realtor representing a fancy house he wants to buy simply to tear down so he can build a tennis court to use during the pandemic.
Elsewhere, Offerman is typically funny and gruff as the even wealthier Ken Griffin, who smugly dines on incredibly rare food at exclusive restaurants and offers to help Gabe out when he gets into trouble, only to find himself in corporate hot water when his company works with the startup that lets ordinary people buy shares without commission.
The whole thing is told with verve, energy and humanity, and marks it out as one of the most impressive examples of the social comedy form to happen along since Adam McKay switched from the goofy likes of ‘Anchorman’ to his own sharpened satires.
And perhaps the biggest recommendation I can make about the movie is that it uses Pete Davidson in a way that is not completely annoying. Playing Keith’s boisterous slacker brother, Davidson’s particular energy is on display in a useful, fitting way. Give it an Oscar for that alone!
‘Dumb Money’ does take its time at first to set its scene, occasionally falling into the trap of repeating information. It might have you checking your watch initially. But that setup is necessary to set the scene –– somehow it doesn’t have the same energy as the rest of the movie.
Likewise, were it not for the fact that they are real people, the likes of Gabe, Ken and fellow rich type Steve Cohen (D’Onofrio) would come across as cartoon characters in a fictional film. Here, they are all too terrifyingly confident in their ability to stop the “dumb money” amateur investors.
As with most true stories of this kind, there is a certain dose of cold water awaiting you by the end –– despite the movie’s claim that the GameStop situation changed Wall Street’s way of doing business for the better, you’re left with the lingering feeling that we’re just counting down to the next financial scandal as the division between rich and poor grows.
That, though, is more to do with the real world than the movie’s story.
If you’re fascinated by how the “little people” can get on over on the rich types (at least for a while) and want to watch it happen in entertaining and clever fashion, ‘Dumb Money’ is well worth a bet at the theater.
Greta Gerwig’s ‘Barbie’ took the box office by storm, and as the audience showed up at the movie theaters all dolled up in pink, ‘Barbie’ quickly became this summer’s movie phenomenon.
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Based on the iconic doll, ‘Barbie’ takes us into Barbie Land, where we meet Margot Robbie’s Sterotypical Barbie as she begins to experience things out of her normal routine – cold showers, sour milk, thoughts of mortality, and the worst of all, flat feet. With Ken (Ryan Gosling) tagging along, Barbie sets off to seek out the answers by traveling to the real world. She soon realizes things in the real world are quite the opposite of everything she knows.
Directed by Greta Gerwig and co-written by Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach, the clever story and incredible visuals made ‘Barbie’ the talk of the town. The movie is certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, with an 88% critics score and 83% audience score. Due to it sharing an opening date with Christopher Nolan’s ‘Oppenheimer’, movie fans took the opportunity and turned the dual release into a double-feature event, therefore kicking off the endless waves of “Barbenheimer” memes.
The official synopsis for ‘’Barbie” is below:
“To live in Barbie Land is to be a perfect being in a perfect place. Or you have a full-on existential crisis. Unless you’re a Ken.”
(L to R) Kinsley Ben-Adir, Ryan Gosling as Ken, and Ncuti Gatwa in Warner Bros. Pictures’ ‘Barbie,’ a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures.
‘Barbie’ is officially the highest grossing film of 2023, having just crossed $1.3 billion globally. Opening to $162 million, the Margot Robbie-led film has earned $612 million domestically. Already an icon for many, ‘Barbie’ quickly became a social media sensation, with fans posting everything from their movie-going outfits to their Barbie collections. The film is filled with references to many Barbies and Ken dolls from various decades, sending audiences down nostalgia lane.
On the surface, ‘Barbie’ may seem like a fun adventure, much like ‘The Lego Movie’. However, the film has a deeper message and touches on the pressure of expectations, insecurities, and most importantly, what it means to be human.
‘Barbie’ premiere on July 9, 2023 at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. It was released domestically on July 21, 2023. Currently, it is still playing in some theaters, but as the movie has been in theaters for around 45 days, its theatrical window will soon come to an end. If you want to experience ‘Barbie’ on the big screen, be sure to do it soon.
The movie arrived on digital September 5 for purchase on platforms such as Prime Video, Google Play, Apple TV, Vudu, YouTube, and more for $29.99.
‘Barbie’ has a total runtime of 1 hour and 56 minutes.
Although ‘Barbie’ is leaving the theaters, Warner Bros Pictures has teamed up with IMAX to give fans a limited one-week run of ‘Barbie’ starting September 22nd. As a special treat for the IMAX audience, a special greeting from director Greta Gerwig will play ahead of the film. There will also be exclusive post-credit footage playing after the film, specially selected by Gerwig herself.
Greta Gerwig attends the ‘Barbie’ Press Tour, Sydney Australia 2023. Photography by Caroline McCredie for Warner Bros/NBC Universal. Contact: jade.perry@nbcuni.com.
In regards to the special IMAX release, Jeff Goldstein, President of Domestic Distribution, and Andrew Cripps, President of International Distribution, said:
“We really wanted to super-serve all the fans out there who made this the Summer of ‘Barbie’ in every way imaginable, and we couldn’t think of a better way than to serve up the biggest film of 2023 and the biggest Warner Bros. film of all time on the biggest, most experiential screens around. Thanks to our terrific partners at IMAX and our incredible director, Greta Gerwig, we went a step further and are offering audiences an added incentive with this special post-credits footage. We encourage moviegoers everywhere, whether they’ve seen ‘Barbie’ or not, to see it in IMAX for a can’t-miss moment in film history.”
No word yet when ‘Barbie’ will make its way to streaming, but when it does, it is likely to end up on Max as the film is distributed by Warner Bros/Discovery.
After being expelled from the utopian Barbie Land for being less-than-perfect dolls, Barbie (Margot Robbie) and Ken (Ryan Gosling) go on a journey of self-discovery to the real world.
‘Barbie’ is a surprisingly subversive, entertaining, and hilarious movie that was beautifully shot by director Greta Gerwig. The filmmaker sets a strong tone and Barbie Land is a fully formed universe, however the movie loses a little magic when the characters briefly travel to the “Real World.” Margot Robbie delivers a funny and very emotional performance as Barbie, but it is Ryan Gosling that steals the movie as Ken, delivering a hilarious and also musical over-the-top performance.
Story and Direction
Director/Writer Greta Gerwig attends the ‘Barbie’ Press Junket Photo Call at the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills, CA. Photo by Eric Charbonneau.
The story is fairly simple and begins by introducing us to the colorful and delightful Barbie Land and all of the Barbies and Kens that live within it. We soon meet “Stereotypical Barbie,” (that’s actually what she is referred to in the movie), played by Margot Robbie. Barbie lives a perfect life among the other Barbies, which include President Barbie (Issa Rae), Physicist Barbie (Emma Mackey), Journalist Barbie (Ritu Arya), and even Mermaid Barbie (Dua Lipa), until one day she realizes her life is not as perfect as she thinks. This begins an existential crisis for the character that leads her to Weird Barbie (Kate McKinnon), who explains that she must travel to the “Real World,” to find the human who is “playing with her.”
As Barbie journeys to the real world, she discovers that Ken (Ryan Gosling) has tagged along as his world revolves around Barbie and he would not know what to do without her. But once they arrive, Ken discovers the antiquated idea that men are superior to women. No longer wanting to live in Barbie’s shadow, Ken quickly returns to Barbie Land, suppresses the other Barbies and leads the other Kens to a misogynistic revolution.
Meanwhile, Barbie discovers her owner, a teenager named Sasha (Ariana Greenblatt) who has lost interest in dolls and no longer believes in Barbie’s ideals. Her mother, Gloria (America Ferrera), just happens to work for the CEO of Mattel (Will Ferrell), who is fully aware that something is wrong in Barbie Land as it is causing sales of the toys to go down. Now, it is up to Barbie, Gloria and Sasha to return to Barbie Land, liberate the other Barbies, and put an end to Ken’s evil reign.
The screenplay by Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach is quite clever and sets the right tone for a fun summer movie that also tackles a lot of important subjects like female empowerment and toxic masculinity with grace and humor. The film is also not afraid of making fun of itself and the absurdity of a ‘Barbie’ movie, while also taking on the criticisms that Mattel and the doll line have faced over the years and making the case of why Barbie is a good role model for girls. Kudos to Mattel for having the smarts to hire Gerwig and Baumbach (two excellent filmmakers) in the first place and then having the guts to let them make the movie they wanted to make.
Gerwig began her career as an actress in films like ‘Greenberg,’ ‘The House of the Devil’ and ‘Arthur’ but wrote 2012’s ‘Frances Ha,’ which she also starred in. She made her directorial with ‘Lady Bird,’ which earned her an Oscar nomination for Best Director, and followed it with ‘Little Women,’ which earned her an Oscar nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay. ‘Barbie’ is a big leap for her from Academy Award nominated movies to summer blockbusters, but the director does it with ease, crafting a completely enjoyable popcorn film, that also makes you think. Gerwig’s independent film background also serves her well as she fills the movies with odd inspirations, from a reference to ‘The Red Shoes’ to the choice of using a particular Indigo Girls song ad nauseum.
It has long been rumored that comedian Amy Schumer was originally tapped to play the title role in ‘Barbie,’ and while I understand what they would have been going for with a “Not Perfect Barbie,” I actually think that message gets across better by casting Margot Robbie in the lead role. Aesthetically she looks perfect, which is why she is called “Stereotypical Barbie,” but Robbie is also an incredible actress, which allows her to chip away at the character’s perfectness and show you who she really is, which is strong and vulnerable at the same time, her greatest strength. Robbie’s performance gets to the heart of the character, and the theme of the movie, which is that every women can be whatever she wants and is in charge of her own destiny. ‘Barbie’ gives Robbie her first chance at leading a blockbuster movie without playing Harley Quinn, and the actress proves that she has a lot of range and is now a big time movie star in her own right too.
While Robbie’s Barbie is definitely the focal point of the film and carries the movie well, she also allows her co-star Ryan Gosling to steal every scene he’s in. Best known for his cool-as-ice public persona and appearing in action dramas like ‘Drive’ or ‘The Gray Man,’ Gosling really gets to use his comedic chops in this film and takes advantage of every opportunity he has to poke fun at the character, while never becoming a cliché. Though his actions are misguided, Gosling reveals his characters’ vulnerability and low self-esteem, which allows the audience to sympathize with the character. Make no mistakes, Ken is the villain of the movie, which is delightful in itself, but Gosling is still likable as the character despite his despicable actions.
It should also be noted that ‘Barbie’ is partially a musical, and with his dancing background in films like ‘La La Land,’ and of course his history with the ‘Mickey Mouse Club,’ the actor knocks it out of the park in his dance scenes and especially his MTV video like sequence where he sings the opus “Just Ken.” Once Ken “goes bad,” Gosling’s transformation from an innocent lovesick puppy dog to a misogynistic 90’s boyband reject was absolutely brilliant and brings some of the movie’s best laughs. Gosling and Robbie are great together on screen, and clearly understood the tone Gerwig was going for.
There are so many well-known actors and actress playing different versions of Barbie and Ken that I can’t mention them all, but Issa Rae certainly stood out as President Barbie, as did Kate McKinnon playing Weird Barbie, the doll your older brother got a hold of and put through a woodchipper. Emma Mackey, who is often confused with Robbie in real life, was cleverly cast as Physicist Barbie, and musician Dula Lipa also stands out in a cameo as Mermaid Barbie opposite John Cena’s Mermaid Ken. Two MCU alumni, ‘Secret Invasion’s Kingsley Ben-Adir and ‘Shang-Chi’s Simu Liu also play Kens, but neither are given anything significant to do. While many may not remember, the Mattel line of dolls did introduce two other less popular characters, Allan and Midge, who are played well comedically by Michael Cera and Emerald Fennell, respectively.
Outside of the Barbie Land characters, America Ferrera and Ariana Greenblatt are both great as Gloria and Sasha, respectively, and their mother/daughter relationship really helps to bring home the message of the movie. Helen Mirren plays the narrator and I can’t think of an actress with more gravitas to voice the role. The script also allows her to add her own funny commentary, including mentioning that Barbie’s eloquent monologue about the pressures of being beautiful would have more weight if not delivered by an actress as aesthetically pleasing as Robbie.
However, there were a few “real world” characters that didn’t quite work. Look, it’s always nice to see legendary ‘Cheers’ actress Rhea Pearlman on screen, but she plays the ghost of Barbie creator Ruth Handler, who unexplainably lives on the 7th floor of Mattel’s corporate headquarters. While the actress gives a nice monologue that ties the themes of the movie together at the conclusion, it didn’t seem entirely necessary. The film already asks us to except the idea that Barbie Land and the dolls are real, so trying to also except that ghosts and the afterlife exist seemed a step too far for me.
I also have to question the casting of Will Ferrell as the CEO of Mattel, as it is basically the same character he played in ‘The Lego Movie,’ which uses a similar storytelling device with the idea that the toys are real and what they do in their world affects ours. Maybe Gerwig was going for a meta-joke with his casting, or perhaps she just wanted to work with Ferrell, who is perfectly fine in the role, but I couldn’t help thinking of the comparisons to ‘The Lego Movie’ and Ferrell’s inclusion took me out of the movie in some moments.
Which leads to my next point, the “real world” scenes are definitely the low point of the film. Once Barbie and Ken journey to the real world, which is about 30 minutes into the movie, I was worried that the rest of the film would take place there and it would become a “fish out of water” story with Barbie not understanding human concepts like money, or being sexually objectified by men. Unfortunately, those stale jokes are used, but luckily the characters do not stay in the real world for long and the third act takes place back in Barbie Land. I do understand why the characters needed to go to the “real world,” plot wise Ken needed to discover misogyny in order to bring it back to Barbie Land, and while some scenes work, like Ken’s altercation with a female doctor, it’s not the high point of the film and you are grateful when they do return to Barbie Land.
Barbie Land
Margot Robbie as Barbie in Warner Bros. Pictures’ ‘Barbie,’ a Warner Bros. Pictures release.
The major set piece of the movie is Barbie Land and it comes to life beautifully with eye-popping color and a magical tone. Set designer Sarah Greenwood and decorator Katie Spencer did marvelous work creating a realistic yet magical world and I wouldn’t be surprised if they are rewarded for their work come awards season. Their design for Ken’s Barbie Land is also unique and fabulous, with stallions and heavy metal featured throughout. Costume designer Jacqueline Durran will also likely be on a shortlist come Oscar time with stunning costumes that represent many of Barbie’s iconic looks. But again, the fun is when Ken transforms and his costumes look like a cross between Sylvester Stallone in the 80s and ‘N Sync.
Is ‘Barbie’ a Kid’s Movie?
Margot Robbie as Barbie in Warner Bros. Pictures’ ‘Barbie,’ a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures.
No, is the short answer. With a PG-13 rating, some material may be inappropriate for pre-teenagers, and while they might enjoy the humor, musical numbers, and colorful characters and sets, some of the film’s political and pop culture messages will get lost on a young audience, but its message of love and equality will shine through, even if it is subliminally.
Final Thoughts
Director Greta Gerwig has done the impossible … delivered a ‘Barbie’ movie that is an entertaining summer blockbuster, while also being socially important and containing thoughtful, emotional and funny performances. Margot Robbie earns her movie star status producing and starring in this well-made summer tentpole, while Ryan Gosling proves he’s just as funny as he is cool with his hilarious over-the-top performance.
After being expelled from the utopian Barbie Land for being less-than-perfect dolls, Barbie (Margot Robbie) and Ken (Ryan Gosling) go on a journey of self-discovery to the real world.
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of sitting down in-person with co-writer and director Greta Gerwig to talk about her work on ‘Barbie,’ why she wanted to direct the movie, working with actress and producer Margot Robbie, and Ryan Gosling’s hilarious performance as Ken.
‘Barbie’ co-writer and director Greta Gerwig.
You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch it.
Moviefone: To begin with, what was your first reaction to idea of a Barbie movie, and once you agreed to be a part of the project, what tone and direction did you want to take the film in?
Greta Gerwig: I had been wanting to work with Margot Robbie and she had the rights and was setting it up with her company at Warner Bros. She came to me and said, “Would you like to write this movie?” I jumped at the chance because it was her, and I was like, “Yes, I would love to.” I was also terrified of it because I was not even sure where to start with a Barbie movie. I think there was something about it that seemed like such a tricky problem to solve that it felt a bit of a puzzle. What’s the vantage point? How do we get into this? Then once Noah and I had written the script together and we had the script, that’s when I thought, “Oh, I love this and I don’t want anyone to direct it but me.” So then I said, “I have to direct it,” and they thank goodness, let me.
MF: What was it like working with Margot Robbie and why was she the right actress to play this specific version of Barbie?
GG: I mean, Margot’s a dream as a producer, and as an actor, she’s everything. I mean, she can do anything you want 10 times over, backwards in heels. She’s just an extraordinary actress. I always knew it was going to be hers so when we were writing it, I knew it was going to be hers. So that was always in my mind, but I think that as we worked on it, as we started doing rehearsals and started reading, it just changed and got deeper and more dimensional because I started to know her really well as a person, as an actor, and it was something that evolved alongside her.
MF: Finally, can you talk about Ryan Gosling’s performance as Ken and the direction you wanted to take that character?
GG: I mean, Ryan is jaw-dropping. He’s incredible in this movie. It’s the same thing I like about Margot is that Ryan is incredibly funny, but he never does it in a way that’s making fun of the character, it’s always inside the character. He takes it very seriously, which is why it’s so funny. I actually also wrote it for him, which I can’t believe still that he said yes because I didn’t know him. He wasn’t sure at first, and then I waited him out and he finally was like, “Oh, they’re not going to leave, they’re still here,” which was me and Margot. We just wouldn’t let him not do it. Yeah, and what he brought to it was just he committed beyond any way I would ever imagine in my wildest dreams he would commit. We texted about it and talked about it for a year before we started shooting. We came up with the idea of his Flo Jo dojo mink. But we were texting back and forth pictures of like, we both love Sylvester Stallone and we were like, “What about this look? What about that look?” Then there’s like a pair of glasses he wears in the movie when he puts on the second pair of glasses that were based on the glasses that the ballet director from ‘The Red Shoes’ wears. So they are these cat eye glasses and they’re just such wonderful glasses. I mean, we went so detailed with it and it was like references we gathered for so long. I was sort of slightly terrified when he showed up. I was like, “What if he doesn’t want to do any of this?” But he showed up and just committed, bleached his hair, did the whole thing, shaved his legs, and then there we were.
Director/Writer Greta Gerwig attends the ‘Barbie’ Press Junket Photo Call at the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills, CA. Photo by Eric Charbonneau.
Hiccup and Toothless from ‘How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World.’
Disney had been getting a lot of mileage out of turning its animated classic canon into live-action (and usually live-action/CG mixes) with the likes of ‘Beauty and the Beast’, ‘The Lion King’ and this year’s ‘The Little Mermaid’, it was perhaps only a matter of time before other studios decided to give it a try.
The first to step up are Universal and DreamWorks Animation, who have started work on a live-action adaptation of the ‘How to Train Your Dragon’ stories.
Dean DeBlois, who wrote all three films, co-directed the first with Chris Sanders and took on the other two alone, is aboard to write, direct and produce this new film, where he’ll face the unenviable task of bringing central dragon Toothless to life in live-action, and somehow making him as charming as the beloved animated version.
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What’s the story of ‘How to Train Your Dragon?
Adapted from Cressida Cowell’s novel series, which saw its first book hit shelves in 2003, the ‘How to Train Your Dragon’ movies focused on the special friendship between a young and unheroic Viking boy named Hiccup and Toothless, an injured dragon he nurses back to health.
Set in a Viking island-based village called Berk, the story is set in a world where humans see dragons as a problem––either a sheep-stealing nuisance or deadly threat, depending on the type of beast. We followed Hiccup and Toothless’ quest to combat humanity’s prejudice against dragons, the ache of overcoming the loss of a parent, and first love. And uniquely, the films did so by consistently aging the protagonists commensurately with the story, becoming a true coming-of-age story.
The ‘Dragon’ movies have been successful enough to spawn a wealth of merchandise (including a Build-A-Bear Toothless tie-in, clothes, games, toys and more).
And it has also generated several TV spin-offs featuring other dragon riders, which have screened on Cartoon Network, Netflix and Hulu.
Universal clearly believes this is a franchise that can make the leap, and has already planted a flag in March 14th, 2025 for the movie’s theatrical release.
2014’s ‘How to Train Your Dragon 2.’
Other Movies Similar to ‘How to Train Your Dragon:’
Walt Disney Studios kicked off the first day of D23 Expo 2022 in style today with tons of advance looks at what the House of Mouse has in store for fans in the coming days, months, and years. You can watch Moviefone‘s exclusive backstage interviews by clicking on the video player above.
The first D23 Expo in three years began with the president of Walt Disney Studios Motion Picture Production, Sean Bailey, revealing the first-ever footage from ‘Hocus Pocus 2’.
Bailey was joined by the wacky Sanderson Sisters themselves – stars Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy – who appeared via video to show how their characters are back for the first time since 1993 for more soul-stealing Halloween action.
Battling them this time around are aspiring witch Becca (Whitney Peak) and magic shop owner Gilbert (Sam Richardson).
But the audience’s biggest applause went to the original film’s Billy Butcherson (‘The Shape of Water’s Doug Jones) upon his return from the grave. ‘Hocus Pocus 2’ hits Disney+ on September 30th. The trailer is in the video player above.
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Next up on the panel was another eagerly anticipated sequel, ‘Disenchanted’. Returning stars Amy Adams, Patrick Dempsey, Idina Menzel, and James Marsden took the stage, alongside Maya Rudolph, the film’s new villain. ‘Disenchanted’ finds Adams’ Giselle and hubby Dempsey moving to the suburbs with their infant and teenage children.
“I was a huge fan of the original,” said Rudolph. “I can’t believe I got to be part of this… It’s not easy being mean to Amy Adams.” The new teaser trailer for the sequel is in the video player above.
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As far as live-action remakes of Disney animated classics go, ‘Peter Pan & Wendy’ was the first on deck today: with star Jude Law (Captain Hook) flanked by newcomers Alexander Molony (Peter Pan), Ever Gabo Anderson (Wendy), and Alyssa Wapanatâhk (Tiger Lily).
Expect more empowered female characters this time around, including at least one Lost Girl among Peter’s Lost Boys.
“Disney has worked very hard to give her more depth and a lot more character,” said Anderson of Wendy. “She and Peter are equals in this film.”
Law added that Hook and Pan’s prior relationship is also fleshed out. “We got to mine their back story a little bit more. You get to understand their past,” he said, hinting that the two were once friends.
“I got to make sure all the little details, all the Easter eggs are there. Because I’m a nerd,” confessed Simien. He then joined another of the film’s stars – scream queen Jamie Lee Curtis – in a Doom Buggy rolling across the D23 Expo stage.
Few Disney films are so beloved as 1994’s ‘The Lion King’. And fans will get more of the film’s animal kingdom in the 2024 prequel ‘Mufasa: The Lion King’.
Director Barry Jenkins appeared to explain how “Mufasa is the origin story of one of the greatest kings of the Pride Land… It’s the real story of how Mufasa found his place in the circle of life. What you learn is that Mufasa is great because of the family and the friends he has with him.”
Of course Disney Studios wouldn’t exist without its very first animated classic, 1937’s ‘Snow White’.
Director Marc Webb is tackling the live-action 2024 remake, featuring Gal Gadot as the Wicked Queen and Rachel Zegler as its eponymous heroine. The two were touched by the warm response they received as they presented a first look at their characters.
“Just your reaction means the world to us,” said Gadot.
A visibly moved Zegler explained that, “Snow White is the girl you remember, but she’s definitely made for the modern age,” stating the film redefines what it means to be the fairest of them all.
Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot at Disney D23 Expo 2022 Getty Images
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While ‘Snow White’ is Disney’s first animated feature, 1989’s ‘The Little Mermaid’ is responsible for the studio’s renaissance. As well as its renewed dedication to musicals, as Rob Marshall, director of May 2023’s live-action adaptation, reminded fans today.
“It was very important for us to honor the original. We went to Alan Menken, who was divine to work with, and also our dear friend Lin-Manuel Miranda. They had never worked together before… There are four new songs. We still retain the beauty of the original score, written by the late great Howard Ashman as well.”
Fans were treated to the film’s entire “Part of Your World” number, featuring a note-perfect Halle Bailey, who appeared on stage with Marshall.
“Three days of filming ‘Part of Your World,’” said Bailey, “that was the most beautiful experience of my life. Just getting to sing a song I’ve loved since I was a child was so exciting.”
“The camera loves you,” Marshall told Bailey. “But it’s more than that. [It] loves what’s inside. [It] loves what you bring.”
The two then unveiled a teaser that recalled ‘Finding Nemo’ in the color and detail of its underwater world. You can find a teaser version of the clip in the video player at the top of the page.
It was then time for Pixar Animation Studios’ turn in the spotlight, with chief creative officer Pete Docter introducing next summer’s ‘Elemental’.
Director Peter Sohn spoke of how the film’s Element City was inspired by the culturally mixed New York of his childhood. Footage shown depicted the star-crossed romance of its fire-based heroine Ember (Leah Lewis) and her watery boyfriend Wade (Mamoudou Athie).
Pixar also unveiled its first original long-form series in the form of ‘Win or Lose’, each episode of which follows the perspective of a different character connected to a co-ed softball team, the Pickles.
With this year’s ‘Lightyear’, Pixar returned to the science fiction of ‘Wall-E’. Expect more in this vein soon, starting with ‘Elio’.
Announced today at D23 with star America Ferrera on stage, the film’s title character is an 11-year-old boy who doesn’t feel like he fits in his world. His mom (Ferrera) runs a top-secret military project, which inadvertently results in Elio making first contact with alien life and becoming our planet’s ambassador to the rest of the universe. It’s due out in spring 2024.
Last but by no means least on the Pixar slate – ‘Inside Out’ star Amy Poehler made a surprise appearance alongside Docter to announce ‘Inside Out 2’.
“Joy and the emotions are back for an all new adventure inside Riley’s head,” said a fittingly ebullient Poehler. “Only this time she’s a teenager!”
New emotions will also appear in the film, as Kelsey Mann takes over the directing chores from Docter, with Meg LeFauve returning to write the summer 2024 release.
To cap off the panel, Disney Animation’s chief creative officer (and Oscar-winning ‘Frozen’ director) Jennifer Lee greeted the D23 Expo audience to show what’s in store for the studio’s 100th anniversary next year.
But first, Disney’s fan-favorite 2016 ‘Zootopia’ will get a spin-off series this November on Disney+. And attendees got an advance look at the aptly titled ‘Zootopia+’, consisting of six short ‘Zootopia’-style spoofs of everything from ‘The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills’ to ‘The Godfather Part II’.
Perhaps Disney’s most unique offering at the Expo was ‘Iwaju’. Coming this year to Disney+, it finds the animation studio partnering for the first time in its long history with an overseas animation studio – Africa’s Kugali. Its three founders appeared today, describing their Afrofuturism fable and its characters as a love letter to their hometown of Lagos, Nigeria.
More sci-fi arrived with a new look at ‘Strange World’, described by Lee as “a film about family, legacy, and what we leave behind for the generations that follow.” Director Don Hall explained how the film chronicles three generations coming together on an alien planet in order to save their world.
Stars Jake Gyllenhaal, Dennis Quaid, and Lucy Liu introduced a rip-snorting clip of an exciting chase through ‘Strange World’s creature-packed planet.
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The Disney Animation segment, and indeed entire panel, concluded with the revelation of the studio’s 100th anniversary feature film – ‘Wish’. The tale of the star upon which so many Disney characters have wished throughout the past century, ‘Wish’ is co-directed by the attending team of Chris Buck and Fawn Veerasunthorn.
Buck, who co-wrote the film with Lee, explained how ‘Wish’ explores a kingdom of wishes, in which wishes can literally come true. Offering a lush, animated watercolor style coupled with CG animation, it stars newly minted Oscar winner Ariana DeBose as 17-year-old Asha, who pleas to the heavens for help, and gets an actual star from the sky, named Star, who communicates through pantomime.
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Disney “good luck charm,” actor Alan Tudyk appeared with footage of his character, a goat named Valentino who wishes to communicate with people. Finally, DeBose saw fans off with a sizzling live performance of “More for Us,” one of the film’s songs by Grammy winner Julia Michaels.
‘Barbie’ is one of those movies that it’s hard to get a handle on. When you know that Mattel is working with Warner Bros. to adapt the iconic toy, your first thought might be of a cheap animated cash-in designed to sell more of the plastic princess.
Instead, the idea – even before it arrived at Warners – appears to be looking to make a more interesting live-action version that explores the character in different ways.
The ensemble, though, is anchored by Margot Robbie, who jumped aboard as star and producer, ready to play the Malibu favorite who, according to the actor “comes with a lot of baggage, and a lot of nostalgic connections. But with that comes a lot of exciting ways to attack it.”
And attack it she has, teaming up with Gerwig and Baumbach to figure out something that, for now at least, is shrouded in mystery.
Kingsley Ben-Adir stars in ‘One Night in Miami.’ Photo: Patti Perret/Amazon Studios.
Even most of the roles are being kept quiet for now, though we do know that Ryan Gosling (yet another actor not traditionally associated with blockbuster money grabs) is playing Ken.
Since the core duo was attached, ‘Barbie’ has slowly been building its cast, and has certainly kept us all guessing with the people jumping aboard. America Ferrera, Kate McKinnon and ‘Shang-Chi’s Simu Liu were among the first group.
They were soon joined by trailblazing trans performer Hari Nef and Alexandra Shipp, most recently seen in the Oscar-nominated ‘Tick, Tick… Boom!’. Also on the list? Ariana Greenblatt and Will Ferrell, who unlike many of the others, actually has a potential role – he’s rumored to play a toy company CEO (wonder if he’ll be anything like ‘The Lego Movie’s President Business?)
And Gatwa isn’t the only person from Netflix hit series ‘Sex Education’; his co-stars Emma Mackey and Connor Swindells are also on board.
Before it was at Warners, ‘Barbie’ was in development at Sony, where Amy Schumer and Anne Hathaway were attached at different times to play the lead, while ‘Juno’s Diablo Cody wrote at least one draft of the script.
Gerwig has been shooting the movie since early this year at Warner Bros.’ Leavesden Studios just outside of London. ‘Barbie’ doesn’t have a set release date yet but should be in theaters next year.
