All of the talk around Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie” has been devoted to Margot Robbie’s title character and Ryan Gosling’s Ken, but there’s a lot more to the movie than just those two parts. Will Ferrell confirmed for the first time in a new Wall Street Journal interview that he is playing the CEO of Mattel in the movie. The actor described his character as “insensitive” and “weird,” while also calling the movie a fusion of high and low art forms.
“It is, in my humble opinion, the ultimate example of high art and low art,” Ferrell said about “Barbie.” “It’s a loving homage to the brand and, at the same time, couldn’t be more satirical — just an amazing comment on male patriarchy and women in society and why Barbie’s criticized and yet why every little girl still wants to play with Barbie. Boy, when I read it, I was like, ‘This is fantastic.’”
Ferrell added, “I get to play the CEO of Mattel and be that guy who’s just insensitive but weird and then, not to spoil anything, but…. Anyway, that’s what excites me.”
Warner Bros. has been tight-lipped when it comes to “Barbie” spoilers. An official synopsis for the film has not been released, although fans speculate the movie is a fish-out-of-water story in which Barbie (Robbie) and Ken (Gosling) find themselves in the real world. Perhaps they’re on a mission to track down the CEO of Mattel, which is where Ferrell would factor in.
The supporting cast for “Barbie” also includes the likes of America Ferrera, Simu Liu, Kate McKinnon, Alexandra Shipp, Emma Mackey, Kingsley Ben-Adir, Issa Rae and Michael Cera. It’s rumored that several actors are starring in the film as iterations of Barbie and Ken. Gerwig co-wrote the script with Noah Baumbach.
Warner Bros. is set to release “Barbie” in theaters nationwide on July 23, 2023.
From Variety US