Amy Schumer may be bringing the most iconic toy doll to life. Indeed, THR reports that the comedian/writer/actress is in talks to lead Sony’s long-in-the-works Barbie movie, which is described as “a contemporary spin on beauty, feminism, and identity.” The Mattel toy is iconic no doubt, and Sony Pictures has been trying to years to find a way to bring the property to the big screen in a way that makes sense. Oscar-winning Juno scribe Diablo Cody was one of the first writers on the project, then last year Sony tried a “triple track" approach by hiring three scribes to pen three separate screenplays. The studio and producers Walter ParkesLaurie MacDonald, and Amy Pascal ultimately landed on Hilary Winston’s idea and script to move forward with, but if Schumer signs on to star, it’s expected that she’ll also perform a rewrite on the script with her sister, Kim Caramele.

Schumer’s star has been on the rise the past few years after first breaking out as a stand-up comedian. Her Comedy Central series Inside Amy Schumer exploded before and after the release of the Judd Apatow-helmed Trainwreck, which Schumer wrote and starred in. She’s subsequently been mighty in demand, but instead of signing on to copious projects, she’s been fairly picky. Schumer co-wrote a mother-daughter comedy for Fox that she recently finished filming opposite Goldie Hawn with Jonathan Levine (The Night Before) directing, and co-wrote a comedy she plans to star in opposite Jennifer Lawrence when their schedules align. Recently, Schumer's been back on the stand-up circuit.

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Image via Disney

The search for a director for the Barbie movie is underway, and no doubt Schumer’s involvement makes this an in-demand project. The story of the movie as it currently stands begins “in a perfect land of Barbies where one woman slowly awakens to the fact that she doesn’t fit in. She is expelled from the idealistic land and journeys to the real world, where she discovers that being unique is an asset.” That’s actually a pretty smart way to turn Barbie into a thoughtful and entertaining feature film, and Schumer’s willingness to tackle issues of self-image and sexism on Inside Amy Schumer and within her stand-up bodes well for her involvement.

Sony is aiming for “an imaginative family comedy with plenty of heart,” likening the film to Splash and Big, so expect Schumer’s more R-rated sensibilities to remain under wraps should she sign on.

This is certainly a project that could come to fruition as a shameless cash-grab, but the logline here and Schumer’s involvement actually have me incredibly eager to see this come to the big screen.

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Image via Universal Pictures