Barbie walks the red carpet. Here are 5 other toys that became movie stars.

Andrew S. Hughes, South Bend Tribune
Updated ·3 min read
Margot Robbie stars as the title character in "Barbie," which opens July 21, 2023.
Margot Robbie stars as the title character in "Barbie," which opens July 21, 2023.
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Barbie’s ready for her closeup and walk on the red carpet — or pink carpet in her case.

With the July 21 release of director Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie,” the popular — and, for some, problematic — doll born in 1959 moves from her Malibu Dreamhouse to the Dream Factory.

Although there have been 42 straight-to-video or streaming animated Barbie films since 2001’s “Barbie in the Nutcracker,” Gerwig’s “Barbie” marks her live-action feature film debut, with Margot Robbie in the title role on an adventure that sees Barbie in existential crisis when she and boyfriend Ken leave the matriarchy of Barbie Land for today’s real world.

From USA Today: 'Barbie' review: Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling dazzle in hilariously heady toy story

But Barbie’s not the first toy to transition from plaything to movie star. Here are five other feature films that began life as physical toys (films based on trading cards, video games and board games were excluded from consideration):

“Raggedy Ann & Andy: A Musical Adventure”

This 1977 animated film generally gets credited as the first toy-to-film movie. It stars the two ragdolls in an adventure loosely adapted from the 1924 novel “Raggedy Ann and Andy and the Camel with the Wrinkled Knees.” With a budget of $4 million, it grossed $1.35 million.

● Where to stream: Not available on subscription services but available at archive.org.

“Masters of the Universe”

Heroic warrior He-Man and evil lord Skeletor battle for control of Castle Grayskull. He-Man also must rescue a beautiful sorceress imprisoned by Skeletor, but the key has been hidden on Earth and found by a teenage duo. This 1987 commercial flop mixes science fiction and sword-and-sorcery fantasy and now has a cult following. It stars Dolph Lundgren, Frank Langella, Courteney Cox and James Tolkan.

● Where to stream: Tubi, Amazon's Freevee and PlutoTV.

“Transformers”

Based on the Japanese toy line available in the U.S. since 1984, 2007’s live-action science fiction adventure film stars Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox and Josh Duhamel in a story about the toys that can change from cars to robots by rearranging their parts. When the battle between the good Autobots and the evil Decepticons reaches Earth, it’s up to two high school students to save the Autobots and the world. A sixth sequel, “Transformers: Rise of the Beasts,” came out in June.

● Where to stream: TNT, TBS.com and Google Play

This film image released by Paramount Pictures shows Channing Tatum, left, and Dwayne Johnson in a scene from "G.I. Joe: Retaliation," the 2013 sequel to 2009's "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra."
This film image released by Paramount Pictures shows Channing Tatum, left, and Dwayne Johnson in a scene from "G.I. Joe: Retaliation," the 2013 sequel to 2009's "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra."

“G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra”

The original action figure (and source for the term), introduced in 1964, becomes an elite military unit instead of one soldier in this 2009 action-adventure film, followed by the 2013 sequel, “G.I. Joe: Retaliation.” In “The Rise of Cobra,” the G.I. Team battles an “evil organization led by a notorious arms dealer.” In “Retaliation,” the “G.I. Joes fight their mortal enemy Cobra” and also are “forced to contend with threats from within the government that jeopardize their very existence.”

● Where to stream “The Rise of Cobra”: Rent or purchase on Amazon Instant Video, Google Play, iTunes, and Vudu.

● Where to stream “Retaliation”: Netflix (until Aug. 1).

This image released by Warner Bros. Pictures shows characters Emmet, voiced by Chris Pratt, left, and Batman, voiced by Will Arnett, in a scene from "The Lego Movie."
This image released by Warner Bros. Pictures shows characters Emmet, voiced by Chris Pratt, left, and Batman, voiced by Will Arnett, in a scene from "The Lego Movie."

“The Lego Movie”

Construction worker Emmet Brickowski joins forces with Master Builders Vitruvius, Wyldstyle and Batman to keep Lord Business from gluing the Lego universe into place in this 2014 global blockbuster that grossed $468.1 million and led to three sequels: 2017’s “The Lego Batman Movie” and "The Lego Ninjago Movie" and 2019’s “The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part.”

● Where to stream: Max (also has “The Lego Batman Movie”).

This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Toy stories: Movies based on physical toys, including 'Barbie'