It's safe to say that the internet went into a meltdown on Tuesday when character posters and a trailer for the upcoming Barbie movie dropped.
For those who don't know, Australian actress Margot Robbie, 32, is set to star alongside Canadian heartthrob Ryan Gosling, 42, in the highly-anticipated film - which is the result of Barbie manufacturer Mattel's partnership with Warner Bros. Studios.
So far, little has been released about the film's plot, with the trailer containing barely any spoilers.
What we do know, however, is Robbie's Barbie character takes a journey into the human world after being kicked out of Barbieland for not being perfect enough. Judging by the character posters released this week - which show different Barbies who have professions like President, Supreme Court Justice, and Diplomat - the bar for perfection in the fictional pink land is set pretty high.
Barbie fans have been beside themselves with excitement at the small details already hinted at in the trailer - including the fact that two discontinued Barbie dolls, Allan and Midge - are set to star in the movie. Not only this, but the creators have made sure Barbie stays pretty true to form, ensuring that even Robbie's feet are in the trademark perpetual tip toe foot position.
Given the excitement following the trailer's release - as well as the fact that Robbie is very clearly perfect for the role of Barbie - netizens were baffled to learn that comedian Amy Schumer, 41, had originally been given the role.
Yep, you read that correctly. We haven't even seen the Barbie movie yet and we already know that Robbie was the most obvious choice - something that Schumer eventually realized after she turned down the part because she didn't feel it was right for her.
According to BuzzFeed News, development on the Barbie movie began in 2009 when Mattel partnered with Universal Pictures to create a Barbie movie. When nothing happened, Mattel ended up deciding to work with Sony Pictures in 2014, and in 2016 Schumer was brought on to star in the titular role as well as co-write the script. Months later, she backed out of the project due to scheduling conflicts.
In 2022, Schumer actually admitted that this wasn't true, and that she'd actually just felt that the role wasn't a good fit for her. The mom-of-one told The Hollywood Reporter that Sony "definitely didn't want to do it the way I wanted to do it, the only way I was interested in doing it."
In fact, their visions couldn't have been more far apart - with Schumer telling the outlet that she had wanted her version of Barbie to be an "ambitious inventor", with Sony suggesting that her invention be high heels made of Jell-O. She then added that the studio even sent her a pair of Manolo Blahniks to celebrate her role. "The idea that that's just what every woman must want, right there, I should have gone, 'You've got the wrong gal.'"
As for the Barbie movie - which is set for release on July 21 - Greta Gerwig has signed on as director, with Warner Bros. now producing.
