Greta Gerwig Was 'Terrified' About Working On New 'Barbie' Movie: 'Could Be A Career-Ender'

Popular director Greta Gerwig has revealed how she felt about directing the upcoming live-action movie "Barbie."

While several animated versions of "Barbie" have been released over the years, the upcoming movie will be the first of its kind when it debuts in the cinema in July 2023.

Appearing on Dua Lipa's "At Your Service" podcast, Gewrwig shared that the project's size scared her and made her contemplate whether the end result could mar her career.

The director said that having assistance from Martell, who owns the Barbie franchise, and her co-producers, actress Margot Robbie and Tom Ackerley, helped to make the production simpler. Robbie plays the lead in the film, which also stars Ryan Gosling and a stellar ensemble.

Read on to learn more.

During her appearance on Dua Lipa's "At Your Service" podcast, Gerwig discussed the fears she had about directing the upcoming live-action movie "Barbie."

"It was terrifying. I think that was a big part of it," she told her host on Friday, per Entertainment Weekly.

The filmmaker's comment appeared to reference her concerns over being unable to deliver on the project, which was the first of its kind.

She added, reflecting back to the early days of preproduction, "I think there's something about starting from that place where it's like, 'Well, anything is possible!' It felt like vertigo starting to write it. Like, where do you even begin? What would be the story?"

In the end, Gerwig overcame her fears and got on with what was needed. She worked alongside Noah Baumbach to first script the movie and then began production in March after all the cast had been signed on.

While on the podcast with Dua Lipa, Gerwig revealed that the film helped push her out of her comfort zone, saying that she ultimately turned her fears into strength to bring the popular toy franchise to the big screen.

She remarked, "That feeling that I had was knowing that it would be really interesting terror. Usually that's where the best stuff is," she shared. "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.'"

She also lauded the efforts of the American toy company Mattel, who owns the toy franchise, revealing that they gave her all she needed to succeed.

"Mattel were amazing partners who have given us such trust and such freedom, and I think that that is incredibly rare," Gerwig added. "Whatever we wanted it to be, they did not try to micromanage it. They were completely on board as partners, and that was extraordinary."

One of the ways in which Mattel supported Gerwig was to give her access to the full Barbie archives so she could run free with her imagination to create a unique version that would blow the viewers' minds when it debuts.

Gerwig shared that Robbie, who stars and co-produces in the upcoming film, also helped in this regard. She also mentioned Ackerley as another producer who was a great support throughout.

"They really gave us their trust," she said, referencing Mattel's unwavering support. "And I think a big reason for that was actually Margot and Tom [Ackerley] and the way they also, you know, said, 'We want to make this movie, and we want to make her vision. We don't have to make any Barbie movie. We want to make this one.'"

In "Barbie," Gerwig, Robbie, and Ackerley are joined in the production crew by Robbie Brenner, David Heyman, Ynon Kreiz, and Josey McNamara.

Robbie plays the role of the titular character while "The Gray Man" star Ryan Gosling portrays Ken, Barbie's boyfriend. The pair are joined by a list of other Hollywood stars, including Simu Liu, Issa Rae, Ncuti Gatwa, Emma Mackey, America Ferrera, Will Ferrell, Connor Swindells, Alexandra Shipp, and Rhea Perlman.

Showrunners Warner Bros. has kept the storyline under wraps. Still, it is expected that Gerwig's adaptation will feature multiple variations of Barbie and Ken, who would be played by other characters other than Robbie and Gosling.

There is no trailer for the film yet; however, Warner Bros. did share the first photo of Robbie as Barbie at CinemaCon earlier in the year. The movie will hit theaters on the 21st of July, 2023.