Did the upcoming Barbie movie just Mean Girls us? Because we’re still looking for our invite to the no doubt life-changing slumber party that director Greta Gerwig threw for the film’s cast.
Don’t get us wrong, we’re all too happy that we’ll get to join the cast next year for what looks like the best toy to screen film adaptation since 2014’s The Lego Movie, but the idea of playing “Stiff as a Board, Light as a Feather” with the likes of Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, Simu Liu, America Ferrara, Ncuti Gatwa, and Kate McKinnon sounds like so much fun it’s heartbreaking that we couldn’t be there.
Sex Education star Emma Mackey, who’s appearing in an undisclosed role in the film, recently revealed to Empire that director Gerwig did indeed organize a group sleepover for the cast in the early days of filming. The actor, who will also be appearing next year as author Emily Brontë in Frances O’Connor’s biopic Emily, revealed that the slumber party was a welcome change from her more serious role and also admitted that she and co-star Scott Evans dominated the evening’s ping pong championship.
“Right in the beginning, we had a sleepover for the Barbies, which would involve playing games with Scott [Evans] and Ncuti [Gatwa]. I don’t play games usually, because I get so competitive and angry. But Scott and I were top of the game. It’s great to do comedy, because Emily was a sad, dark drama. Barbie is light and funny and silly and American and pink.”
It’s not known who Mackey will be starring as in the new movie. We could make something of the fact that she does bear a passing resemblance to title star Margot Robbie, but we’ll skip it. We have no doubt that the Day-Glo Barbie world was a welcome respite from the rainswept moors of Yorkshire. But next time, don’t forget to take a few selfies so we can photoshop ourselves in.
Barbie will hit theaters on July 21, 2023.