Barbie director Greta Gerwig reveals her idea behind Weird Barbie, along with Kate McKinnon, who plays the quirky and unorthodox character, which has been a talking point among many fans.
The Barbie film is inspired by the iconic Barbie dolls from Mattel, and it tells the story of Barbie (Margot Robbie), who undergoes a paradigm shift when she goes to the human world from the flawless world of dolls!
In the film, Barbie becomes ‘imperfect’ after ‘things’ happen, which causes her to consult a few people to help her deal with the unexpected ‘catastrophe.’
One of these people is Weird Barbie, a quirky and hilarious character resulting from various alterations or accidents that happened to her as a toy.
She becomes a mentor and a friend to Robbie’s “stereotypical Barbie,” helping her navigate the challenges and joys of being different.
Have you ever wondered what happens to the Barbie dolls that are loved too much? The ones that have been chewed, cut, and customized by their imaginative owners?
Well, in the movie Barbie, you will meet Weird Barbie, a unique character who embraces her quirks and celebrates her differences. Weird Barbie is voiced by the hilarious Kate McKinnon, who joined the director Greta Gerwig in a special featurette called “It’s a Weird World”.
Gerwig describes Weird Barbie as a doll that has seen a lot of life, and McKinnon says that she is “the guardian of everyone’s secret weirdness.” Protagonist Margot Robbie shared her thoughts on Weird Barbie, saying that she looked like “a mix of David Bowie and a hairless cat.”
Check out what Gerwig and McKinnon had to say about Weird Barbie below:
You’d brush out her hair and then you decided you want to cut it, then you’d see what happens if you light it on fire and draw all over her face. You put her in the splits and try to change her clothes. I had this idea like, ‘Well we have to have a Barbie that represents that fate of so many Barbies.’ I wanted her to be funny and wise.
Gerwig
She is, like, a shaman figure, the keeper of everyone’s hidden weirdness. A Barbie’s put together. A Barbie is perfect. And Weird Barbie is the one who’s allowed to be asymmetrical, messed up. And what we all have inside of us is externalized in this piece of art.
McKinnon
The script of Barbie is a brilliant work of art, and Gerwig’s imagination makes Barbie land and its inhabitants come alive. McKinnon plays Weird Barbie with hilarious perfection, and her odd moves, like doing the splits, might be a nod to the original dolls with stiff legs who were neglected in the real world.
She seems to know a lot about the world, but the other dolls fear her. In her home, we see Earring Magic Ken, Skipper, Tanner, and other old toys no longer in production, showing her soft spot for the outcasts.
Gloria (America Ferrera) surprises Sasha (Ariana Greenblatt) when she comes to Barbie’s world. She brings her own Weird Barbie, who is used to the incessant rough handling. Weird Barbie helps the other Barbies fight for their freedom and earn respect and friendship.
She was so popular that Mattel made a doll based on her, but some fans think it doesn’t capture her true spirit.
Weird Barbie is a fascinating character, and it’s fun to learn how she came to be. She makes us laugh with her ecstatic weirdness, but she also has a sad undertone to her.
McKinnon’s portrayal of her is one of the show’s highlights, and her insights into Weird Barbie only add to our appreciation of her role.
About Barbie (2023)
Barbie is a 2023 film directed by Greta Gerwig, who co-wrote the screenplay with Noah Baumbach. It is based on the eponymous fashion doll line by Mattel, and serves as the franchise’s first live-action film adaptation after several computer-animated direct-to-video and streaming television films.
The film stars Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling as Barbie and Ken respectively. Barbie released in the United States and United Kingdom on July 21, 2023, distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures.
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