Sharon Stone Says Studios ‘Laughed’ at Her ‘Barbie’ Pitch in the 1990s: ‘How Far We’ve Come’

Samantha Bergeson
·2 min read
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Sharon Stone is among many of the would-be Barbies alongside Amy Schumer, Anne Hathaway, and Gal Gadot.

The “Casino” and “Basic Instinct” star shared on Instagram that studio executives “laughed” at her pitch in the 1990s to adapt the story behind the Barbie doll for the big screen.

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“I was laughed out [of] the studio when I came [with] the Barbie idea in the ’90s [with] the support of the head of Barbie,” Stone wrote in a comment to “Barbie” actress America Ferrara on an Instagram post showing Ferrara’s Critics Choice Awards speech. “How far we’ve come. Thank you ladies for your courage and endurance.”

Ferrara was honored with the Seeher award at the 2024 Critics Choice Awards, where “Barbie” received wins for Best Song, Best Original Screenplay, Best Production Design, Best Costume Design, Best Hair and Make-Up, and Best Comedy.

“Barbie” was co-written by Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach, with Gerwig directing. Margot Robbie starred as the lead titular Barbie alongside an ensemble cast including Ryan Gosling and Ferrara. The Warner Bros. film made history at the box office as the top grossing film of 2023 and the highest grossing movie directed by a woman. The film is continuing to sweep awards season nods with Golden Globe, SAG, and expected Oscar nominations

Before there was 2023’s “Barbie,” though, Amy Schumer was set to write and star in a Sony film back in 2018. Diablo Cody was then later attached to take over the project before also exiting. Anne Hathaway was approached to replace Schumer as the lead actress with Alethea Jones set to direct in another shelved project.

Oscar winner Hathaway recently said during the “Happy Sad Confused” podcast that it was a “lucky thing” her film did not get made.

“The mythic giants they toppled with [‘Barbie’] that have kept certain narratives in place that have not allowed opportunities to develop for so many people … they ran straight through it!” Hathaway said of Gerwig’s film. “Just as a cinemagoer and as a woman in Hollywood since I was a kid, I’m thrilled by the development. If I believed that the version I was attached to could have done that, I might feel differently about it, but I genuinely think their film was the best possible version.”

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