The First Photo of Margot Robbie As Barbie Is Here

There have been many (many) animated movies and even some TV series based on Mattel’s Barbie toy line. But somehow, despite the doll’s enduring popularity, there has never been a live-action Barbie movie before. That will change next summer when Barbie debuts in theaters, with Margot Robbie starring as the title toy.

As part of their CinemaCon presentation this week, Warner Bros. unveiled the first look at Robbie as Barbie (say that five times fast). In classic Barbie fashion, the image features lots of hot pink along with Robbie as Barbie driving in her pink car.

While any movie based on a toy might be met with a fair amount of skepticism by discerning moviegoers, Barbie comes from a surprisingly impressive creative pedigree. After years in development — when filmmakers as varied as Diablo Cody and Amy Schumer all tried their hand at producing a Barbie movie — this film that’s headed to theaters is directed by Greta Gerwig, the filmmaker behind Lady Bird and the recent (and outstanding) adaptation of Little Women. Gerwig co-wrote the script for Barbie with her longtime collaborator (and filmmaker in his own right) Noah Baumbach. And the rest of the cast is impressive too; in addition to Robbie, there’s America Ferrera, Kate McKinnon, Simu Liu, Will Ferrell, Michael Cera, Issa Rae, and Ryan Gosling as Ken.

With that group of people involved, how can you not be a little curious about this movie? I sure am. Barbie is scheduled to open in theaters on July 21, 2023.