It looks like the big-screen Barbie movie is going to be a whole lot more mumblecore than expected. Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach—who teamed together on films like indie staple Frances Ha and 2015's Mistress America—have been tapped to co-write the script at Warner Bros., THR reports, while Gerwig is being eyed to direct. The film, based on the iconic Mattel doll, will see in-demand leading woman Margot Robbie stepping into the fully posable title role.
It's certainly a surprising choice, given the fact Gerwig and Baumbach don't immediately call to mind the big splashy romps a Barbie movie immediately calls to mind. Gerwig is coming off her solo directorial debut, Lady Bird, the Saoirse Ronan-led dramedy that notched five Academy Award nominations, including Best Director and Best Screenplay nods for Gerwig. The filmmaker's star-studded Little Women adaptation will hit theaters in December. Meanwhile, Baumbach's Palme d'Or-nominated The Meyerowitz Stories starring Ben Stiller, Adam Sandler, and Dustin Hoffman hit Netflix in 2017, and the filmmaker has an untitled project with Scarlett Johannsson and Adam Driver coming down the pipeline.
Robbie is co-producing the Barbie movie through her Luckychap banner, adding another film to her growing producer's resume that also includes Birds of Prey and an untitled Shakespeare project set for later this year. Mattel Films' Robbie Brenner is also onboard as producer. The project marks the end of a long road getting the plastic leading lady to the big-screen. Back when Sony held the rights, both Amy Schumer and Anne Hathaway were attached to star, but Margot quickly stepped in when Warner Bros. signed a deal with Mattel Films back in January.