Tag: Greta Gerwig

  • ‘It’s hard, I’m having nightmares’: Greta Gerwig on next film project

    By Express News Service

    Barbie grossed a whopping $1 billion in the global box office, making Greta Gerwig the only solo female director to achieve that feat.

    Speaking at a Q&A as part of the London Film Festival, Gerwig talked about her next project, though crucially didn’t reveal any details about what that might actually be. She said, “I’m working on something right now. It’s hard and I’m having recurring nightmares.”

    Speaking on the response her film has been receiving, she said, “It’s been incredible.” She also added that during the film’s opening weekend, she covertly travelled around cinemas in New York and instructed staff on how to best present her film.

    “I went around theatres, stood in the back, and turned up the volume if I felt it wasn’t playing at the perfect level,” she said. “It was the most thrilling thing.” 

    Recalling how she was asked if I’m Just Ken dance was necessary, the Little Women director said, “There was a big meeting that was like, ‘Do you need this?’ And I was like, ‘Everything in me needs this.’ They were like, ‘What do you even mean? What is a dream ballet?’ And I was like, ‘A dream ballet? Where do I begin!’”

    Barbie stars Margot Robbie as the titular character and Ryan Gosling as Ken and follows the pair on a journey of self-discovery following an existential crisis. It features a supporting cast that includes America Ferrera, Kate McKinnon, Issa Rae, Rhea Perlman, and Will Ferrell.

    Gerwig is a co-writer on Disney’s upcoming Snow White, directed by Marc Webb and currently in post-production ahead of a release on March 24, 2024.  

    Barbie grossed a whopping $1 billion in the global box office, making Greta Gerwig the only solo female director to achieve that feat.

    Speaking at a Q&A as part of the London Film Festival, Gerwig talked about her next project, though crucially didn’t reveal any details about what that might actually be. She said, “I’m working on something right now. It’s hard and I’m having recurring nightmares.”

    Speaking on the response her film has been receiving, she said, “It’s been incredible.” She also added that during the film’s opening weekend, she covertly travelled around cinemas in New York and instructed staff on how to best present her film.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    “I went around theatres, stood in the back, and turned up the volume if I felt it wasn’t playing at the perfect level,” she said. “It was the most thrilling thing.” 

    Recalling how she was asked if I’m Just Ken dance was necessary, the Little Women director said, “There was a big meeting that was like, ‘Do you need this?’ And I was like, ‘Everything in me needs this.’ They were like, ‘What do you even mean? What is a dream ballet?’ And I was like, ‘A dream ballet? Where do I begin!’”

    Barbie stars Margot Robbie as the titular character and Ryan Gosling as Ken and follows the pair on a journey of self-discovery following an existential crisis. It features a supporting cast that includes America Ferrera, Kate McKinnon, Issa Rae, Rhea Perlman, and Will Ferrell.

    Gerwig is a co-writer on Disney’s upcoming Snow White, directed by Marc Webb and currently in post-production ahead of a release on March 24, 2024. 
     

  • ‘Barbie’ tops USD 1 billion worldwide, breaks another record for female directors

    By AFP

    Hollywood’s pink wave has yet to crest as Warner Bros.’ “Barbie” dominated for a third straight weekend in North American theaters, pushing the film’s global haul past USD 1 billion in a first for a solo woman director, industry watcher Exhibitor Relations said Sunday.

    The Greta Gerwig-directed blockbuster has tapped into a cultural zeitgeist: not only did it make history by hitting the billion-dollar box office milestone, it also did so faster than any film — including those directed by men — in Warner Bros.’ 100-year history, executives there said.

    The film, which earlier scored the biggest opening weekend of the year, “has captured the imagination of moviegoers around the world and the results are incredibly impressive,” analyst Paul Dergarabedian of Comscore said.

    Starring Margot Robbie as iconic doll Barbie and Ryan Gosling as boyfriend Ken, the movie earned a projected USD 53 million for the Friday-through-Sunday period, for a domestic total of USD 459 million and a whopping USD 1.03 billion worldwide.

    Co-written by Gerwig and her partner Noah Baumbach, it follows Barbie as she contends with her woman-led, pink-plastered fantasy land becoming infected with real-world problems, in a comic self-aware commentary on the dolls’ decades-old cultural significance.

    A supporting cast including Will Ferrell, Kate McKinnon and America Ferrera add even more star power to the film, while its soundtrack includes new songs by chart toppers Dua Lipa, Lizzo and Nicki Minaj — as well as a surprise hit in “I’m Just Ken,” the power ballad sung in the film by Gosling.

    “Barbie” is only the sixth film to surpass USD 1 billion at the box-office since the Covid-19 pandemic, according to Variety.

    Falling to third place was Universal’s “Oppenheimer,” the dark historical drama whose opening the same week as “Barbie” sparked the massive “Barbenheimer” social media trend.

    ‘Oppenheimer’ becomes top-grossing WWII filmIt was bumped by Warner Bros. newcomer “Meg 2: The Trench,” an action sequel in which Jason Statham tries to survive attacks by gargantuan prehistoric sharks.

    “Meg 2” pulled in USD 30 million for the weekend, while Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer” earned USD 28.7 million to push its global total to USD 552 million.

    That total made the story about the creation of the atomic bomb the all-time top-grossing World War II film, ahead of Nolan’s own “Dunkirk” (USD 527 million) and Steven Spielberg’s “Saving Private Ryan” (USD 482 million), not adjusted for inflation, according to Hollywood Reporter.

    Fourth place for the weekend went to “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem,” the latest in the franchise about a team of reptilian heroes in a half-shell. The Paramount animated comedy, featuring the voices of Jackie Chan and Post Malone, brought in USD 28 million.

    Disney release “Haunted Mansion” slid two spots to fifth, with the lavishly produced kid-centric film — starring LaKeith Stanfield, Tiffany Haddish and Owen Wilson — earning USD 8.9 million.

    Holding its own in sixth was the independent “Sound of Freedom,” from Santa Fe Films and Angel Studios, at USD 7 million. The low-budget action thriller has sparked controversy, with critics saying its story about child sex trafficking plays into Qanon conspiracy theories.

    All in all, it was an exceptional weekend for Hollywood, with the top four films all raking in USD 28 million or more — though whether the industry can sustain that momentum in the face of a historic writers’ and actors’ strike remains to be seen.

    Not only did the top films come close to doubling the total from the same weekend last year, they surpassed the corresponding pre-pandemic weekend in 2019, analysts said.

    As Ken might have said — in a line reportedly ad-libbed by Gosling in “Barbie” — the weekend was “Sublime!”

    Rounding out the top 10 were:

    “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part 1” (USD 6.4 million)

    “Talk to Me” (USD 6.2 million)

    “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” (USD 1.5 million)

    “Elemental” (USD 1.2 million)

    Hollywood’s pink wave has yet to crest as Warner Bros.’ “Barbie” dominated for a third straight weekend in North American theaters, pushing the film’s global haul past USD 1 billion in a first for a solo woman director, industry watcher Exhibitor Relations said Sunday.

    The Greta Gerwig-directed blockbuster has tapped into a cultural zeitgeist: not only did it make history by hitting the billion-dollar box office milestone, it also did so faster than any film — including those directed by men — in Warner Bros.’ 100-year history, executives there said.

    The film, which earlier scored the biggest opening weekend of the year, “has captured the imagination of moviegoers around the world and the results are incredibly impressive,” analyst Paul Dergarabedian of Comscore said.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2′); });

    Starring Margot Robbie as iconic doll Barbie and Ryan Gosling as boyfriend Ken, the movie earned a projected USD 53 million for the Friday-through-Sunday period, for a domestic total of USD 459 million and a whopping USD 1.03 billion worldwide.

    Co-written by Gerwig and her partner Noah Baumbach, it follows Barbie as she contends with her woman-led, pink-plastered fantasy land becoming infected with real-world problems, in a comic self-aware commentary on the dolls’ decades-old cultural significance.

    A supporting cast including Will Ferrell, Kate McKinnon and America Ferrera add even more star power to the film, while its soundtrack includes new songs by chart toppers Dua Lipa, Lizzo and Nicki Minaj — as well as a surprise hit in “I’m Just Ken,” the power ballad sung in the film by Gosling.

    “Barbie” is only the sixth film to surpass USD 1 billion at the box-office since the Covid-19 pandemic, according to Variety.

    Falling to third place was Universal’s “Oppenheimer,” the dark historical drama whose opening the same week as “Barbie” sparked the massive “Barbenheimer” social media trend.

    ‘Oppenheimer’ becomes top-grossing WWII film
    It was bumped by Warner Bros. newcomer “Meg 2: The Trench,” an action sequel in which Jason Statham tries to survive attacks by gargantuan prehistoric sharks.

    “Meg 2” pulled in USD 30 million for the weekend, while Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer” earned USD 28.7 million to push its global total to USD 552 million.

    That total made the story about the creation of the atomic bomb the all-time top-grossing World War II film, ahead of Nolan’s own “Dunkirk” (USD 527 million) and Steven Spielberg’s “Saving Private Ryan” (USD 482 million), not adjusted for inflation, according to Hollywood Reporter.

    Fourth place for the weekend went to “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem,” the latest in the franchise about a team of reptilian heroes in a half-shell. The Paramount animated comedy, featuring the voices of Jackie Chan and Post Malone, brought in USD 28 million.

    Disney release “Haunted Mansion” slid two spots to fifth, with the lavishly produced kid-centric film — starring LaKeith Stanfield, Tiffany Haddish and Owen Wilson — earning USD 8.9 million.

    Holding its own in sixth was the independent “Sound of Freedom,” from Santa Fe Films and Angel Studios, at USD 7 million. The low-budget action thriller has sparked controversy, with critics saying its story about child sex trafficking plays into Qanon conspiracy theories.

    All in all, it was an exceptional weekend for Hollywood, with the top four films all raking in USD 28 million or more — though whether the industry can sustain that momentum in the face of a historic writers’ and actors’ strike remains to be seen.

    Not only did the top films come close to doubling the total from the same weekend last year, they surpassed the corresponding pre-pandemic weekend in 2019, analysts said.

    As Ken might have said — in a line reportedly ad-libbed by Gosling in “Barbie” — the weekend was “Sublime!”

    Rounding out the top 10 were:

    “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part 1” (USD 6.4 million)

    “Talk to Me” (USD 6.2 million)

    “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” (USD 1.5 million)

    “Elemental” (USD 1.2 million)

  • Director couple Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach welcome second baby

    By PTI

    LONDON: Director couple Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach have become parents to their second child, a baby boy.

    Gerwig, who is awaiting the release of her film “Barbie” which she co-wrote with her partner, told fashion magazine Elle UK that she gave birth four months ago.

    “He’s a little schmoo. That’s very much his energy.He’s a wise little baby. I’m still doing that thing where I wake up every hour to 90 minutes and just hover. You just keep wanting to look at that baby,” she said.

    Gerwig, 39, and Baumbach, 53, are already parents to four-year-old son Harold.

    Baumbach also shares son Rohmer, 13, with his former wife, actor Jennifer Jason Leigh.

    Gerwig and Baumbach, who have worked together on several films such as “Frances Ha” and “White Noise”, have been in a relationship since 2011.

    LONDON: Director couple Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach have become parents to their second child, a baby boy.

    Gerwig, who is awaiting the release of her film “Barbie” which she co-wrote with her partner, told fashion magazine Elle UK that she gave birth four months ago.

    “He’s a little schmoo. That’s very much his energy.He’s a wise little baby. I’m still doing that thing where I wake up every hour to 90 minutes and just hover. You just keep wanting to look at that baby,” she said.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    Gerwig, 39, and Baumbach, 53, are already parents to four-year-old son Harold.

    Baumbach also shares son Rohmer, 13, with his former wife, actor Jennifer Jason Leigh.

    Gerwig and Baumbach, who have worked together on several films such as “Frances Ha” and “White Noise”, have been in a relationship since 2011.

  • The story behind Barbenheimer, the summer’s most online movie showdown

    By Associated Press

    UNITED STATES: The very online showdown between Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie” and Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer” all started with a date: July 21.

    It’s not uncommon for studios to counterprogram films in different genres on a big weekend, but the stark differences between an intense, serious-minded picture about the man who oversaw the development of the atomic bomb and a lighthearted, candy-colored anthropomorphizing of a childhood doll quickly became the stuff of viral fodder.

    There’s even some disagreement over whether it’s “Barbieheimer” or “Barbenheimer” or “Boppenheimer” or yet another tortured portmanteau — a phenomenon on which the AP Stylebook has yet to offer guidance, but for the purposes of this article will be “Barbenheimer.”

    It didn’t hurt that both Nolan and Gerwig have very passionate and very online fandoms eager to join in. Never mind that many of those fans overlap — the memes, allegiances, and T-shirts were just too fun.

    Both movies often trend on social media when the other releases a new asset — a trailer, a picture, an interview. On one level, it’s a marketing department’s dream. Awareness could not be higher, the conversation couldn’t be louder, and neither film even has official reviews out yet.

    “’Barbenheimer’ is a marketing gift borne out of social media and I think it’s benefiting both films,” said Paul Dergarabedian, the senior media analyst for analytics firm Comscore. “You’re certainly aware of both movies in a more profound and compelling way than I think might have otherwise happened had they been released on different weekends.”

    AMC Theaters reported that 20,000 of its AMC Stubs members had purchased tickets for a double feature. If you’re counting, that’s 294 minutes of movie-watching. Even Margot Robbie — Barbie herself — and Tom Cruise, the star of another summer blockbuster, have started plotting the ideal “Barbenheimer” day.

    “It’s a perfect double bill,” said Robbie at her movie’s London premiere Wednesday. “I think actually start your day with ‘Barbie,’ then go straight into ‘Oppenheimer’ and then a ‘Barbie’ chaser.”

    Cruise — whose “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One” opened a little over a week before the “Barbenheimer” showdown — said at his premiere he’d plan to see both on their opening day, likely starting with “Oppenheimer,” which seems to be the internet’s preferred viewing order as well.

    “Barbie” actor Issa Rae thinks there’s a reason for that.

    “I think that there’s a very specific order that if you see them in. If you see ‘Oppenheimer’ last then you might be a bit of a psychopath,” she diagnosed at the London premiere.

    The showdown has made armchair marketing experts out of everyone, quick to scrutinize every move by Warner Bros. and Universal — as though it’s possible to compare two extraordinarily different campaigns.

    One has infinite opportunities for very pink, sparkly photo opportunities, whimsical brand partnerships for seemingly everything from underwear to pool floats, large-scale fan events with autograph signings and pop stars like Billie Eilish posting about the soundtrack. In other words, the “Barbie” campaign can go nuclear.

    “Oppenheimer” has the bomb, the alluring mystery and the big screen hook, but it’s not the kind of movie that lends itself to, say, a frozen yogurt collaboration.

    Is the competition real, though, or just a meme? Some in Hollywood wondered if Warner Bros. plopped “Barbie” on the weekend as a slight to Nolan, who had opened many films for the studio in that corridor including “Inception” and “Dunkirk.” He left Warner Bros. amid its controversial decision to send a year’s worth of movies to streaming and made “Oppenheimer” with Universal instead. But a pointed box office war doesn’t exactly make sense for a studio that has talked recently about wanting to lure Nolan back.

    There is an unspoken code of conduct: Never badmouth another studio’s film, publicly at least. This is partly decorum, especially when it comes to “box office showdowns” which all will say are a creation of the press and sideline spectators. But it’s also rooted in some truth: The conventional thinking is that having eyes on one movie is good for other movies — you see their posters and trailers and on some level everyone benefits.

    And social media has allowed movie stars to get in on the game, too. Following reports that Cruise was irked the latest “Mission: Impossible” was going to lose its IMAX screens to “Oppenheimer” after only a week, Cruise posted photos of himself and director Christopher McQuarrie standing in front of posters for “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny,” “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer,” holding tickets for each.

    “This summer is full of amazing movies to see in theaters. These are just a few that we can’t wait to see on the big screen,” Cruise’s Instagram caption read.

    The official accounts for “Indiana Jones,” “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” responded with supportive notes. Gerwig and Robbie even followed with a similar photo series a few days later, which the official “Oppenheimer” Instagram account reposted in its stories. Charged with playing Oppenheimer, Cillian Murphy told the AP at his movie’s London premiere that “of course” he’d be seeing “Barbie.” The sporting cross-promotion between four studios — Universal, Warner Bros., Disney and Paramount — is something the film business has not quite seen before.

    “Not only is Tom Cruise the biggest box office star in the world, but he’s also an incredible ambassador for the movie theater, for the movie theater experience and boosting other movies,” Dergarabedian said. “And that collegial atmosphere within the framework of what is seen as the very competitive box office derby is kind of a nice thing.”

    Still, everyone likes a No. 1 debut, and both “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” reportedly carry $100 million production price tags (not including the millions spent on marketing). As far as box office tracking goes, “Barbie” has it in the bag with forecasts showing that it could open above $90 million in North America. “Oppenheimer” meanwhile is tracking in the $40 million range. Then there’s the wild card of “Mission: Impossible 7’s” second weekend, which could snag second place.

    Still even with a second- or third-place start, “Oppenheimer” could be destined for a long, steady, profitable run into awards season. Adult audiences for R-rated movies are not often the ones who pack theaters the first weekend.

    Back in 2008, in the midst of the recession, Warner Bros. and Universal faced off on the same July weekend with another Nolan film that went up against a lighthearted confection: “The Dark Knight” and “Mamma Mia!” — both of which went on to be enormously profitable (though Nolan did win the first weekend).

    The bigger worry is that what’s been heralded as Hollywood’s post-pandemic comeback summer has had more ups and downs than anyone might have hoped. That’s putting quite a bit of pressure on “Barbenheimer” to overperform and boost the lagging summer box office, which pales in comparison to the bigger issues facing the industry as actors join the writers on strike.

    But with just over a week to go, it’s still a source of amusement. Even “Barbie” co-star Will Ferrell threw the gauntlet in his winking way at the London premiere.

    “I think the world maybe wants to see ‘Barbie’ a little bit more right now,” Ferrell said. “Just saying!”

    UNITED STATES: The very online showdown between Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie” and Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer” all started with a date: July 21.

    It’s not uncommon for studios to counterprogram films in different genres on a big weekend, but the stark differences between an intense, serious-minded picture about the man who oversaw the development of the atomic bomb and a lighthearted, candy-colored anthropomorphizing of a childhood doll quickly became the stuff of viral fodder.

    There’s even some disagreement over whether it’s “Barbieheimer” or “Barbenheimer” or “Boppenheimer” or yet another tortured portmanteau — a phenomenon on which the AP Stylebook has yet to offer guidance, but for the purposes of this article will be “Barbenheimer.”googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2′); });

    It didn’t hurt that both Nolan and Gerwig have very passionate and very online fandoms eager to join in. Never mind that many of those fans overlap — the memes, allegiances, and T-shirts were just too fun.

    Both movies often trend on social media when the other releases a new asset — a trailer, a picture, an interview. On one level, it’s a marketing department’s dream. Awareness could not be higher, the conversation couldn’t be louder, and neither film even has official reviews out yet.

    “’Barbenheimer’ is a marketing gift borne out of social media and I think it’s benefiting both films,” said Paul Dergarabedian, the senior media analyst for analytics firm Comscore. “You’re certainly aware of both movies in a more profound and compelling way than I think might have otherwise happened had they been released on different weekends.”

    AMC Theaters reported that 20,000 of its AMC Stubs members had purchased tickets for a double feature. If you’re counting, that’s 294 minutes of movie-watching. Even Margot Robbie — Barbie herself — and Tom Cruise, the star of another summer blockbuster, have started plotting the ideal “Barbenheimer” day.

    “It’s a perfect double bill,” said Robbie at her movie’s London premiere Wednesday. “I think actually start your day with ‘Barbie,’ then go straight into ‘Oppenheimer’ and then a ‘Barbie’ chaser.”

    Cruise — whose “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One” opened a little over a week before the “Barbenheimer” showdown — said at his premiere he’d plan to see both on their opening day, likely starting with “Oppenheimer,” which seems to be the internet’s preferred viewing order as well.

    “Barbie” actor Issa Rae thinks there’s a reason for that.

    “I think that there’s a very specific order that if you see them in. If you see ‘Oppenheimer’ last then you might be a bit of a psychopath,” she diagnosed at the London premiere.

    The showdown has made armchair marketing experts out of everyone, quick to scrutinize every move by Warner Bros. and Universal — as though it’s possible to compare two extraordinarily different campaigns.

    One has infinite opportunities for very pink, sparkly photo opportunities, whimsical brand partnerships for seemingly everything from underwear to pool floats, large-scale fan events with autograph signings and pop stars like Billie Eilish posting about the soundtrack. In other words, the “Barbie” campaign can go nuclear.

    “Oppenheimer” has the bomb, the alluring mystery and the big screen hook, but it’s not the kind of movie that lends itself to, say, a frozen yogurt collaboration.

    Is the competition real, though, or just a meme? Some in Hollywood wondered if Warner Bros. plopped “Barbie” on the weekend as a slight to Nolan, who had opened many films for the studio in that corridor including “Inception” and “Dunkirk.” He left Warner Bros. amid its controversial decision to send a year’s worth of movies to streaming and made “Oppenheimer” with Universal instead. But a pointed box office war doesn’t exactly make sense for a studio that has talked recently about wanting to lure Nolan back.

    There is an unspoken code of conduct: Never badmouth another studio’s film, publicly at least. This is partly decorum, especially when it comes to “box office showdowns” which all will say are a creation of the press and sideline spectators. But it’s also rooted in some truth: The conventional thinking is that having eyes on one movie is good for other movies — you see their posters and trailers and on some level everyone benefits.

    And social media has allowed movie stars to get in on the game, too. Following reports that Cruise was irked the latest “Mission: Impossible” was going to lose its IMAX screens to “Oppenheimer” after only a week, Cruise posted photos of himself and director Christopher McQuarrie standing in front of posters for “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny,” “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer,” holding tickets for each.

    “This summer is full of amazing movies to see in theaters. These are just a few that we can’t wait to see on the big screen,” Cruise’s Instagram caption read.

    The official accounts for “Indiana Jones,” “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” responded with supportive notes. Gerwig and Robbie even followed with a similar photo series a few days later, which the official “Oppenheimer” Instagram account reposted in its stories. Charged with playing Oppenheimer, Cillian Murphy told the AP at his movie’s London premiere that “of course” he’d be seeing “Barbie.” The sporting cross-promotion between four studios — Universal, Warner Bros., Disney and Paramount — is something the film business has not quite seen before.

    “Not only is Tom Cruise the biggest box office star in the world, but he’s also an incredible ambassador for the movie theater, for the movie theater experience and boosting other movies,” Dergarabedian said. “And that collegial atmosphere within the framework of what is seen as the very competitive box office derby is kind of a nice thing.”

    Still, everyone likes a No. 1 debut, and both “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” reportedly carry $100 million production price tags (not including the millions spent on marketing). As far as box office tracking goes, “Barbie” has it in the bag with forecasts showing that it could open above $90 million in North America. “Oppenheimer” meanwhile is tracking in the $40 million range. Then there’s the wild card of “Mission: Impossible 7’s” second weekend, which could snag second place.

    Still even with a second- or third-place start, “Oppenheimer” could be destined for a long, steady, profitable run into awards season. Adult audiences for R-rated movies are not often the ones who pack theaters the first weekend.

    Back in 2008, in the midst of the recession, Warner Bros. and Universal faced off on the same July weekend with another Nolan film that went up against a lighthearted confection: “The Dark Knight” and “Mamma Mia!” — both of which went on to be enormously profitable (though Nolan did win the first weekend).

    The bigger worry is that what’s been heralded as Hollywood’s post-pandemic comeback summer has had more ups and downs than anyone might have hoped. That’s putting quite a bit of pressure on “Barbenheimer” to overperform and boost the lagging summer box office, which pales in comparison to the bigger issues facing the industry as actors join the writers on strike.

    But with just over a week to go, it’s still a source of amusement. Even “Barbie” co-star Will Ferrell threw the gauntlet in his winking way at the London premiere.

    “I think the world maybe wants to see ‘Barbie’ a little bit more right now,” Ferrell said. “Just saying!”

  • Margot Robbie reveals when she first read ‘Barbie’ script, she thought it wouldn’t make it

    By Express News Service

    Actor Margot Robbie, who is part of the upcoming Barbie film, revealed that when she first read Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach’s screenplay of the film, she thought the film would not be made. 

    According to Variety, she said “The first time I read the ‘Barbie’ script, my reaction was, ‘Ah! This is so good. What a shame it will never see the light of day because they are never going to let us make this movie. “But they did.”

    The actor did not reveal much about the plot of the film. She plays Barbie and Ryan Gosling plays Ken. It is said that these two characters travel from Barbie’s dreamland to the real world and the story is said to unfold further. Directed by Greta Gerwig, the film is set to hit the theatres on July 21.

    The recently released trailer shows different versions of Barbies and Kens greeting each other one day at a beach before it continues to explore the world of the dolls. 

    Barbie boasts a star-studded cast, including Kate McKinnon, Simu Liu, Issa Rae, Alexandra Shipp, America Ferrera, Michael Cera, Emma Mackey, Hari Nef, Scott Evans, Ncuti Gatwa, Will Ferrell, Dua Lipa, Kingsley Ben-Adir, Connor Swindells, Ariana Greenblatt, Emerald Fennell, Sharon Rooney, Nicola Coughlan, Ritu Arya, Ana Cruz Kaye, and Jamie Demetriou.

    At the same time, Helen Mirren will serve as the narrator. The music for the film is composed by Alexandre Desplat, who earlier collaborated with the director in the 2019 film Little Women.

    (This story originally appeared on Cinema Express)

    Actor Margot Robbie, who is part of the upcoming Barbie film, revealed that when she first read Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach’s screenplay of the film, she thought the film would not be made. 

    According to Variety, she said “The first time I read the ‘Barbie’ script, my reaction was, ‘Ah! This is so good. What a shame it will never see the light of day because they are never going to let us make this movie. “But they did.”

    The actor did not reveal much about the plot of the film. She plays Barbie and Ryan Gosling plays Ken. It is said that these two characters travel from Barbie’s dreamland to the real world and the story is said to unfold further. Directed by Greta Gerwig, the film is set to hit the theatres on July 21.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    The recently released trailer shows different versions of Barbies and Kens greeting each other one day at a beach before it continues to explore the world of the dolls. 

    Barbie boasts a star-studded cast, including Kate McKinnon, Simu Liu, Issa Rae, Alexandra Shipp, America Ferrera, Michael Cera, Emma Mackey, Hari Nef, Scott Evans, Ncuti Gatwa, Will Ferrell, Dua Lipa, Kingsley Ben-Adir, Connor Swindells, Ariana Greenblatt, Emerald Fennell, Sharon Rooney, Nicola Coughlan, Ritu Arya, Ana Cruz Kaye, and Jamie Demetriou.

    At the same time, Helen Mirren will serve as the narrator. The music for the film is composed by Alexandre Desplat, who earlier collaborated with the director in the 2019 film Little Women.

    (This story originally appeared on Cinema Express)

  • When Margot Robbie first read ‘Barbie’ script, this is what she thought

    By Express News Service

    Actor Margot Robbie, who is part of the upcoming Barbie film, revealed that when she first read Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach’s screenplay of the film, she thought the film would not be made. 

    According to Variety, she said “The first time I read the ‘Barbie’ script, my reaction was, ‘Ah! This is so good. What a shame it will never see the light of day because they are never going to let us make this movie. “But they did.”

    The actor did not reveal much about the plot of the film. She plays Barbie and Ryan Gosling plays Ken. It is said that these two characters travel from Barbie’s dreamland to the real world and the story is said to unfold further. Directed by Greta Gerwig, the film is set to hit the theatres on July 21.

    The recently released trailer shows different versions of Barbies and Kens greeting each other one day at a beach before it continues to explore the world of the dolls. 

    Barbie boasts a star-studded cast, including Kate McKinnon, Simu Liu, Issa Rae, Alexandra Shipp, America Ferrera, Michael Cera, Emma Mackey, Hari Nef, Scott Evans, Ncuti Gatwa, Will Ferrell, Dua Lipa, Kingsley Ben-Adir, Connor Swindells, Ariana Greenblatt, Emerald Fennell, Sharon Rooney, Nicola Coughlan, Ritu Arya, Ana Cruz Kaye, and Jamie Demetriou.

    At the same time, Helen Mirren will serve as the narrator. The music for the film is composed by Alexandre Desplat, who earlier collaborated with the director in the 2019 film Little Women.

    (This story originally appeared on Cinema Express)

    Actor Margot Robbie, who is part of the upcoming Barbie film, revealed that when she first read Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach’s screenplay of the film, she thought the film would not be made. 

    According to Variety, she said “The first time I read the ‘Barbie’ script, my reaction was, ‘Ah! This is so good. What a shame it will never see the light of day because they are never going to let us make this movie. “But they did.”

    The actor did not reveal much about the plot of the film. She plays Barbie and Ryan Gosling plays Ken. It is said that these two characters travel from Barbie’s dreamland to the real world and the story is said to unfold further. Directed by Greta Gerwig, the film is set to hit the theatres on July 21.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    The recently released trailer shows different versions of Barbies and Kens greeting each other one day at a beach before it continues to explore the world of the dolls. 

    Barbie boasts a star-studded cast, including Kate McKinnon, Simu Liu, Issa Rae, Alexandra Shipp, America Ferrera, Michael Cera, Emma Mackey, Hari Nef, Scott Evans, Ncuti Gatwa, Will Ferrell, Dua Lipa, Kingsley Ben-Adir, Connor Swindells, Ariana Greenblatt, Emerald Fennell, Sharon Rooney, Nicola Coughlan, Ritu Arya, Ana Cruz Kaye, and Jamie Demetriou.

    At the same time, Helen Mirren will serve as the narrator. The music for the film is composed by Alexandre Desplat, who earlier collaborated with the director in the 2019 film Little Women.

    (This story originally appeared on Cinema Express)

  • Ryan Gosling’s first look from Barbie movie revealed 

    By Express News Service

    In the CinemaCon that was held earlier this year, we saw the first look of Greta Gerwig’s much-awaited film, Barbie. We saw Margot Robbie as the titular character, and fans went into a frenzy. The hype just went off the roof now with Warner Bros Pictures, who are backing the film, releasing the first look of Ryan Gosling as Ken.

    Gosling, who was last seen in The First Man (2018), is said to be playing one of the Kens in the film, which reportedly has multiple Barbies too. While Issa Rae and Hari Nef will be playing different versions of Barbie, Simu Liu and Ncuti Gatwa will be playing different versions of Ken.

    Barbie also stars Kate McKinnon, America Ferrera, Ariana Greenblatt, Alexandra Shipp, Emma Mackey, Michael Cera, and Will Ferrell. With a screenplay by Noah Baumbach, Barbie is backed by Robbie’s production company LuckyChap Entertainment is producing the film.

    With a release date of July 21, 2023, on the cards, in all likelihood, Barbie will take on Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer at the box office. 

  • Rapper André 3000 joins the cast of Noam Baumbach’s White Noise

    By Express News Service

    American rapper and singer André Benjamin has joined the cast of Noah Baumbach’s White Noise. Benjamin is the latest addition to the ensemble, which already includes Adam Driver, Greta Gerwig, Jodie Turner-Smith, Don Cheadle and Alessandro Nivola.

    André Benjamin Benjamin’s acting credits include High Life, Jimi: All Is by My Side, Scary Movie 4, and Fracture to name a few. White Noise is an adaptation of Don DeLillo’s acclaimed 1985 novel by the same name and follows a year in the life of Jack Gladney, a professor who has made his name by pioneering the field of Hitler studies.

    It is Baumbach’s third film for Netflix, after the Oscar-nominated Marriage Story and The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected).

    Meanwhile, it has been reported that Benjamin will also be appearing in Kelly Reichardt’s Showing Up, starring Michelle Williams, Hong Chau, Judd Hirsch, and Maryann Plunkett.