America Ferrera Joins The Cast Of Upcoming 'Barbie' Movie

There have been tons of Barbie animated movies, from "Barbie in the Nutcracker" to "Barbie in the 12 Dancing Princesses" and many more. Each film has been a complete hit and is just as iconic as the Barbie doll itself.

However, the doll's maker, Mattel, is ready to take Barbie's cinematic adaptations to a new level. A live-action Barbie film is finally in the works, and fans cannot wait for it to be ready. So far, all producers have released is the cast list, of which actress America Ferrera recently joined.

Although her role is still under secrecy, Ferrera's fans are super excited that she will be featured in the Barbie film. Read on to learn more about Ferrera's involvement in the movie, her confirmed co-stars, and more about the film.

Ferrera recently signed on to the "Barbie" cast to play alongside Margot Robbie, who plays the role of Barbie herself and Ryan Gosling, who plays the role of Ken, Barbie's longtime romantic interest.

The movie is a collaboration between Mattel, Warner Bros., and Robbie's LuckyChap Entertainment. So far, very few details have been released about the film and its plot, so the exact role that Ferrera will play is still unknown.

"Barbie" is directed by Greta Gerwig, who also co-wrote the film's script with Noah Baumbach. Fans are optimistic that more details of the film will be released as time goes on and more casting decisions are announced. 

Back in 2016, when plans for the movie were coming together, actress Amy Schumer was in talks to be cast as Barbie. Unfortunately, due to a scheduling conflict with another project, she dropped out of the film.

In a 2017 statement to Variety, Schumer said, "The film has so much promise and Sony and Mattel have been great partners. I'm bummed, but looking forward to seeing Barbie on the big screen." 

This then opened the gates for Robbie, who later told USA Today, "Playing with Barbie promotes confidence, curiosity and communication throughout a child's journey to self-discovery… I'm so honored to take on this role and produce a film that I believe will have a tremendously positive impact on children and audiences worldwide."

"Barbie" is scheduled to begin production early this year at WarnerBros's Leavesden Studios in London and is estimated to have a 2023 theatrical release. The one thing that fans know about the film's direction is that it follows Barbie on a journey of self-discovery as she learns to accept and embrace her imperfections. 

The plans for the film have existed for a long time, but it didn't become a real thing until Gerwig, Robbie, and Baumbach came onboard the project in 2018 and 2019. There are also several other producers, including Tom Ackerley, David Heyman, Josey McNamara, Ynon Kreiz, and Robbie Brenner.

Asides from being a talented and successful Emmy award-winning actress, Ferrera is also an accomplished voice actress, producer, and director. She was a voice actress in the "How to Train Your Dragon franchise" and won awards for Ugly Betty and "Real Women Have Curves."

She also acted in and produced the hit NBC workplace comedy show, Superstore and Netflix's Gentefied. On several occasions, Ferrera directed multiple episodes of both of these shows. 

Ferrera is currently working on her feature directorial debut with the film, "I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter," which adapts the New York Times bestselling novel of the same name by Erika Sánchez. She is also slated to star alongside Jared Leto and Anne Hathaway on the limited Apple TV series "We Crashed."