ICYMI, ‘Barbie’ Is Officially Getting Its Own IMAX Release in September

ICYMI, ‘Barbie’ Is Officially Getting Its Own IMAX Release in September
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Something cataclysmic happened when the world ~officially~ learned that a Barbie movie got the green light from Hollywood. And that something was a constant stream of sneak-peek content we didn’t know we needed. Immediately after filming began back in March 2022, dozens of photos of the movie’s leads—Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, of course—dropped and have continued to come out, and I personally have not known peace since. Ryan even wore a shirt emblazoned with the face of fellow Barbie costar Ncuti Gatwa in his role as Doctor Who, which, okay, iconic!

Thanks to Mattel and Warner Bros., a slew of legendary characters were brought to live-action life for the first time ever. And with Margot as Barbie’s lead protagonist and producer, to say it was a success is an understatement. The actor has previously spoken with Variety about the film and said, “I think it’s a great opportunity to put some positivity out in the world and a chance to be aspirational for younger kids.” Obsessed!

If you’re also still screaming/crying/throwing up even weeks after the Barbie movie was officially released IRL, here is everything you need to know about it. Happy reading!

First of all, there are *multiple* trailers!

WATCH THE FIRST ONE IMMEDIATELY:

And here’s another one that came out in May:

So, who is starring in Barbie?

Some serious A-list talent, if you ask me. Case in point? Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling are playing Barbie and Ken. Plus, Sex Education star Ncuti Gatwa and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings’ Simu Liu play two other Ken dolls in the movie. Insecure’s Issa Rae was also cast alongside Transparent’s Hari Nef. Will Ferrell, for his part, portrays the CEO of a toy company. Plus, Kate McKinnon, Emma Mackey (who, btw, could be Margot’s twin), America Ferrera, Michael Cera, Alexandra Shipp, Kingsley Ben-Adir, Rhea Perlman, Emerald Fennell, Sharon Rooney, Ariana Greenblatt, and Jamie Demetriou all make appearances. Oh, and DUA LIPA IS IN THE MOVIE TOO!!!

Yep, back on April 24, new character posters from Barbie were released, and the British singer was hard to miss with her striking blue hair. The A-lister even took to Instagram to post the exciting news:

TL;DR: You’ll likely have to rewatch the film to catch all the epic cameos.

What is Barbie about?

Okay, so this one was less clear before the project officially hit theatres. Given the fact that the script went through several rewrites and creative changes since the film started production in 2014 (yep, you read that right), we could pretty much only guarantee that the vibe shifted over time. How-ev-er! It ultimately landed under the leadership of actor/producer extraordinaire Greta Gerwig and her partner, filmmaker Noah Baumbach. So if there’s one thing it guarantees, it’s that the final version wasn't a cookie-cutter movie in the slightest.

In December 2020, Margot gave us a hint about the project’s inner workings when she spoke with the Hollywood Reporter. “We like the things that feel a little left of center. Something like Barbie where the IP, the name itself, people immediately have an idea of, ‘Oh, Margot is playing Barbie, I know what that is,’ but our goal is to be like, ‘Whatever you’re thinking, we’re going to give you something totally different—the thing you didn’t know you wanted.’ Now, can we truly honor the IP and the fan base and also surprise people? Because if we can do all that and provoke a thoughtful conversation, then we’re really firing on all cylinders,” she said. Greta also told the publication in a separate interview that “Warner Bros. was open to strange.”

When does the Barbie movie come out? What’s the Barbie release date?

Again, the story of this movie is truly a doozy. Early discussions took place as early as 2009, before it started undergoing production in 2014 via Sony Pictures. Then it was passed between a number of writers and directors—at one point, writer and producer Diablo Cody, who penned Juno, was charged with the screenplay—before finally being transferred to Warner Bros. This meant that the film had, well, its fair share of release dates set, including two in 2018 and even a COVID-19-related one in 2020.

But then it was officially confirmed that Barbie’s official release date would be July 21, 2023, which tbh should be a national holiday in my book.

Will Barbie be available to stream?

Yes!!!! The film is set to make its digital debut on *drumroll, pls* September 5. What's more? Barbie already available to pre-order on Amazon. And because it's a Warner Bros. film, it will appear on HBO Max’s platform when it finally is available to stream. Counting! Down! The! Days!

It's getting an IMAX digital release

Yep, turns out Warner Bros. decided to release the Barbie movie in IMAX theaters for a one-week limited engagement beginning on September 22, 2023. And this version of the film will include brand-new footage (!!) chosen by Greta herself.

In a statement, the filmmaker expressed that audience enthusiasm for Barbie, “has been overwhelming, humbling, and deeply moving.” “So many Barbie fans went on this journey with us, and we can’t thank them enough for supporting the film and sharing their Barbie experience in theaters, across social media, and out in the world,” she gushed.

“We made Barbie for the big screen, so it’s an even bigger thrill to be able to bring it to IMAX, the biggest screen of all. And as a special thanks to Barbie fans, we’re excited to share a little bit more of our cast and crew’s incredible work by adding special new footage we hope audiences will enjoy,” she added.

Lemme see some pictures, please?

We’re glad you asked! Here are a few pics and vids that we’re still reeling over 🥺💕:

margot robbie on barbie with ryan
MEGA - Getty Images
margot robbie barbie
MEGA - Getty Images
celebrity sightings in los angeles june 27, 2022
MEGA - Getty Images
margot robbie ryan barbie
MEGA - Getty Images

That’s all we have for now, but rest assured we’ll be updating you with more Barbie deets as soon as they become available!

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