While “Wonder Woman” was proof that a female-led blockbuster could sweep the box office and impress audiences with its uncompromising core identity, “Barbie” did not belong to an established Hollywood trend. It did, however, have the appeal of something never done successfully before, and the onus was on Gerwig (and Noah Baumbach, who co-wrote the screenplay with her) to make the impossible happen. Gerwig talked about the need to craft a whole new category that could appeal to audiences, and convince studios to take risks with other filmmakers:
“…One thing that goes beyond even gender — it’s weird! It’s a wonderfully weird movie! It’s not like anything else. It is odd. The recognition that people are interested made me feel very wonderful … We’re all open to different, strange things — maybe even more open than studios necessarily assume. I think that there’s room to have movies that are female-driven and -led, but also things that are just dancing to their own beat. It’s possible. So I hope that for women, and filmmakers, and also for moviemakers who have a strange dream.”
This wasn’t easy, of course. Gerwig had to fight for certain creative decisions that were obvious and natural to her, but sounded a little baffling when presented to the studio and Mattel. Fortunately, the director says, “it is very easy to fight for what you love” — a sentiment that allowed her to bat for the most wonderfully strange sequences, including the Ken dream ballet that is now ardently adored. While Gerwig had to contend with a lot of “whys” and “hows” along the way, she was confident enough in her vision to bring it to life in the most beautiful way.
“Barbie” is now available for home viewing on 4K UHD, Blu-ray, and Digital.