Barbie director Greta Gerwig says she was ‘terrified’ the live-action film ‘could be a career-ender’

Greta Gerwig opened up about directing the new live-action Barbie movie, which will see Margot Robbie play the iconic Mattel doll and Ryan Gosling step into the shoes of her beloved Ken.

And it turns out the actress-turned-director, who also co-wrote the romantic comedy, was beyond nervous when she sat down to start the screenplay.

‘It was terrifying. I think there’s something about starting from that place where it’s like, “Well, anything is possible!”‘ Gerwig, 39, told Dua Lipa during an appearance on her At Your Service podcast, adding, ‘It felt like vertigo starting to write it. Like, where do you even begin? What would be the story?’

Gerwig went on to share how she used that fear of doing the movie as motivation for accepting the job and moving forward with the production.

‘I think it was that feeling I had that it would be really interesting terror,’ the Sacramento, California native continued. ‘Usually, that’s where the best stuff is. When you’re like, “I am terrified of that.” Anything where you’re like, “This could be a career-ender,” then you’re like, “OK, I probably should do it.”‘

The To Rome With Love star also shared some high praise for the Mattel executives that worked on Barbie for giving her the freedom to craft her vision for the script and look of the film.

Transformation: Margot Robbie plays Barbie and Ryan Gosling slips into the roller skates of  Ken for Barbie, the stars are seen on the set in Venice, California in June

Gerwig, who first made a name her herself as an actor, had previously had two solo directorial ventures, the coming-of-age film Lady Bird (2017) and the coming-of-age period drama Little Women (2019), both of which were nominated for Academy Awards, including Best Director for the former.

‘They have given us such trust and such freedom, and I think that is incredibly rare. Whatever we wanted to be, they did not try to micromanage it. I was very much supported in what I wanted to do,’ Gerwig explained. ‘I usually know on a gut level whether something feels right.’ 

And while the film is based on the eponymous fashion doll line by Mattel, there are few details about the plot that have been made public.

‘Terrifying’: ‘It felt like vertigo starting to write it. Like, where do you even begin? What would be the story?’ Gerwig said of the time she started writing the screenplay

Gosling previously shared how it’s the ‘best script I’ve ever read,’ during a visit to The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, while Robbie promised that the movie will be very different to what people are expecting.

Along with Robbie playing Barbie and Gosling as Ken, the much-anticipated romantic comedy also stars America Ferrera, Will Ferrell, Simu Liu, Kate McKinnon, Ariana Greenblatt, Emma Mackey, Kingsley Ben-Adir, Issa Rae, Michael Cera, Rhea Pearlman, Ncuti Gatwa, Emerald Fennell, Scott Evans, Connor Swindells, Ritu Aryau, Jamie Demetriou and Marisa Abela.

Barbie is scheduled to premiere in theaters in the UK and the US on July 21, 2023.

Next summer: Barbie is scheduled to premiere in theaters in the UK and the US on July 21, 2023