Barbie (2023) Production Notes

She's everything. He's just Ken.

To live in Barbie Land is to be a perfect being in a perfect place. Unless you have a full-on existential crisis. Or you're a Ken.

Please note: Some production notes may contain spoilers.

To live in Barbie Land is to be a perfect being in a perfect place. Unless you have a full-on existential crisis. Or you’re a Ken.

From Oscar-nominated writer/director Greta Gerwig (“Little Women,” “Lady Bird”) comes “Barbie,” starring Oscar-nominees Margot Robbie (“Bombshell,” “I, Tonya”) and Ryan Gosling (“La La Land,” “Half Nelson”) as Barbie and Ken, alongside America Ferrera (“End of Watch,” the “How to Train Your Dragon” films), Kate McKinnon (“Bombshell,” “Yesterday”), Issa Rae (“The Photograph,” “Insecure”), Rhea Perlman (“I’ll See You in My Dreams,” “Matilda”), and Will Ferrell (the “Anchorman” films, “Talladega Nights”). The film also stars Michael Cera (“Scott Pilgrim vs. the World,” “Juno”), Ariana Greenblatt (“Avengers: Infinity War,” “65”), Ana Cruz Kayne (“Little Women”), Emma Mackey (“Emily,” “Sex Education”), Hari Nef (“Assassination Nation,” “Transparent”), Alexandra Shipp (the “X-Men” films), Kingsley Ben-Adir (“One Night in Miami,” “Peaky Blinders”), Simu Liu (“Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings”), Ncuti Gatwa (“Sex Education”), Scott Evans (“Grace and Frankie”), Jamie Demetriou (“Cruella”), Connor Swindells (“Sex Education,” “Emma.”), Sharon Rooney (“Dumbo,” “Jerk”), Nicola Coughlan (“Bridgerton,” “Derry Girls”), Ritu Arya (“The Umbrella Academy”), Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter Dua Lipa and Oscar-winner Helen Mirren (“The Queen”).

Gerwig directed “Barbie” from a screenplay by Gerwig & Oscar nominee Noah Baumbach (“Marriage Story,” “The Squid and the Whale”), based on Barbie by Mattel. The film’s producers are Oscar nominee David Heyman (“Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood,” “Marriage Story,” “Gravity”), Robbie (“Birds of Prey,” “Promising Young Woman,” “I, Tonya”), Tom Ackerley (“Promising Young Woman,” “I, Tonya”) and Oscar nominee Robbie Brenner (“Dallas Buyers Club”), with Gerwig, Baumbach, Ynon Kreiz, Richard Dickson, Michael Sharp, Josey McNamara, Courtenay Valenti, Toby Emmerich and Cate Adams serving as executive producers.

Gerwig’s creative team behind the camera included Oscar-nominated director of photography Rodrigo Prieto (“The Irishman,” “Silence,” “Brokeback Mountain”), Oscar-nominated production designer Sarah Greenwood (“Beauty and the Beast,” “Anna Karenina”), Oscar-winning costume designer Jacqueline Durran (“Little Women,” “Anna Karenina”), editor Nick Houy (“Little Women,” “Lady Bird”), visual effects supervisor Glen Pratt (“Paddington 2,” “Beauty and the Beast”) and music supervisor George Drakoulias (“White Noise,” “Marriage Story”), with a score by Oscar winners Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt (“A Star Is Born”), who also contributed to numerous songs on the film’s soundtrack. The soundtrack includes an impressive roster of today’s hottest music artists, including Lizzo, Dua Lipa, Nicki Minaj & Ice Spice with Aqua, Charli XCX, KAROL G feat. Aldo Ranks, Tame Impala, Dominic Fike, HAIM, The Kid LAROI, Khalid, PinkPantheress, GAYLE, Ava Max, FIFTY FIFTY and more.

Warner Bros. Pictures Presents a Heyday Films Production, a LuckyChap Entertainment Production, an NB/GG Pictures Production, a Mattel Production, “Barbie.” The film will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures and released in theaters only nationwide on July 21, 2023 and beginning internationally on July 19, 2023.

ABOUT THE CAST

MARGOT ROBBIE (Barbie / Producer) is an Academy Award-nominated actress and producer who has captivated global audiences with breakout performances alongside some of the most notable names in film. Continually evolving her diverse body of work, Robbie brings gripping narratives to life in coveted roles that speak to her powerful on-screen presence.

Robbie was recently seen in David O. Russell’s film Amsterdam, alongside Robert De Niro, Christian Bale, Chris Rock, and John David Washington, and in Damien Chazelle’s 1920s Hollywood drama, Babylon, alongside Brad Pitt, for which she received numerous awards nominations.

In August 2021, Robbie reprised her role as the fan-favorite Harley Quinn in The Suicide Squad, directed by James Gunn and co-starring Idris Elba, John Cena and Viola Davis. Robbie originated the role in David Ayer’s Suicide Squad in 2016, alongside Will Smith and Jared Leto, which grossed more than $745M worldwide. In 2020, Robbie played Harley Quinn in the spin-off, Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn). Co-starring Ewan McGregor and Jurnee Smollett, Robbie also produced.

Also in 2021, Robbie lent her voice to the role of Flopsy in Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway, co-starring James Corden and Rose Byrne. Robbie previously voiced the role in the original film Peter Rabbit, which was released in 2018.

In 2019, Robbie starred in Bombshell, directed by Jay Roach and written by Charles Randolph. Co-starring Charlize Theron, Nicole Kidman and John Lithgow, the film follows women of Fox News who risk everything to stand up to the man (Lithgow) who made them famous. Robbie’s performance as fictional character Kayla Popsil earned her a 2020 Academy Award nomination in the category of Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role, a 2020 Golden Globe nomination in the category of Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture, and a 2020 BAFTA nomination for Best Supporting Actress. That same year, Robbie starred in Quentin Tarantino’s Academy Award-nominated film Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, opposite Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio. The film made its world premiere at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival, where it received rave reviews and was nominated for the Palme d’Or. The film later went on to win a Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy. Robbie was also recognized for her performance as Sharon Tate with a BAFTA nomination for Best Supporting Actress.

In 2018, Robbie starred in Josie Rourke’s Mary Queen of Scots. She played Queen Elizabeth opposite Saoirse Ronan. Robbie received SAG and BAFTA nominations for her performance.

Most notably, Robbie starred as Tonya Harding in I, Tonya. Robbie also served as a producer on the film under her production banner, LuckyChap Entertainment. She received an Academy Award nomination, a Golden Globe nomination, a BAFTA nomination, and a SAG nomination for her performance. The film tells the controversial story of Olympic figure skater, Tonya Harding, who infamously conspired to have her competition, Nancy Kerrigan, injured before the 1994 Winter Olympics. The film premiered at the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival.

Robbie’s breakout role came in 2013 in Martin Scorsese’s The Wolf of Wall Street. She stars as the female lead opposite Leonardo DiCaprio. Based on the memoir of the same name by Jordan Belfort, the film tells the story of a New York penny stockbroker (DiCaprio). Her additional film credits include Dreamland; Terminal; Goodbye Christopher Robin; Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, opposite Tina Fey; Z for Zachariah, opposite Chris Pine; Focus, opposite Will Smith; The Legend of Tarzan; Suite Française, alongside Michelle Williams, Kristen Scott Thomas and Matthias Schoenaerts; and About Time, opposite Rachel McAdams and Domhnall Gleeson.

On television, Robbie made her U.S. debut in the critically acclaimed ABC series Pan Am in 2011. In Australia, Robbie is most recognized for her role as Donna Freedman on the television soap opera Neighbours. Her role garnered her two Logie Award nominations for Most Popular New Female Talent and Most Popular Actress.

Robbie has numerous film and television projects in development under her LuckyChap Entertainment banner, all of which correspond to her objective of telling stories with strong female characters. LuckyChap recently partnered with Hodson Exports to launch the Lucky Exports Pitch Program (LEPP), an initiative that has selected six female-identifying writers to participate in the program, in which they will each focus on developing their own idea for an original action feature film. Additionally, LuckyChap Entertainment received the honor of Producers of the Year by The Hollywood Reporter in 2020.

LuckyChap Entertainment’s first project to hit the big screen was the award-winning independent feature I, Tonya. The film went on to receive an Academy Award for Allison Janney, along with two nominations, including Margot Robbie, five Bafta nominations and three Golden Globe nominations. Their film Promising Young Woman, starring Carey Mulligan, which debuted at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival, marked Emerald Fennell’s directorial debut. Promising Young Woman received five Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, six BAFTA nominations and four Golden Globe nominations.

LuckyChap produced the film Boston Strangler, which stars Keira Knightley. The company currently has a first-look television deal with Amazon Studios. LuckyChap produced the hit limited series Maid, alongside John Wells Productions, starring Margaret Qualley. It was released in October 2021 on Netflix and received a Critics Choice Awards nomination for Best Limited Series and was named one of AFI’s Top Television Programs of the Year. Maid also won a Writers Guild of America Award in the category of Adapted Long Form Series. LuckyChap also produced the hit comedy series Dollface alongside Clubhouse Pictures and ABC Signature Studios, starring Kat Dennings, and the second season was released in February 2022. LuckyChap also produced Mike, a limited series for Hulu, starring Trevante Rhodes and produced alongside Clubhouse Pictures, The Gist of It, Entertainment 360 and 20th Television. LuckyChap is producing Emerald Fennell’s upcoming film Saltburn. They also are in post-production on Megan Park’s film My Old Ass, which they produced under their new feature film first look deal with Indian Paintbrush.

In addition to her work in front of and behind the camera, Robbie has been a CHANEL ambassador since March 2018. Born in Australia, Robbie grew up on the Gold Coast and eventually moved to Melbourne, where she began acting professionally at the age of 17. She currently resides in Los Angeles.

RYAN GOSLING (Ken) landed the controversial lead role in the film “The Believer,” a career breakthrough for the actor. After his performance garnered rave reviews and industry-wide attention, the film won the Grand Jury prize at the 2001 Sundance Film Festival. Gosling received Best Actor nominations from the Film Independent Spirit Awards and the London Film Critics’ Circle.

Continuing to receive strong critical praise for taking on challenging and complex roles, Gosling received the 2007 Academy Award Nomination for Best Actor for his role in “Half Nelson” as Dan, a drug-addicted inner city junior high school teacher.  He also garnered Best Actor nominations from the Screen Actors Guild, the Broadcast Film Critics Association, the Chicago Film Critics Association, the Online Film Critics’ Society, and the Toronto Film Critics Association. Additionally, he received the Male Breakthrough Performance Award from the National Board of Review.

The following year Gosling was honored again with both a Golden Globe and SAG Best Actor nomination for his work in “Lars and The Real Girl” and once more in 2011 for “Blue Valentine” in which he starred opposite Michelle Williams.

In 2011 Gosling starred alongside Steve Carell and Emma Stone in the marital crisis comedy “Crazy, Stupid, Love.”  That same year he starred in “Drive” and “The Ides of March.” Since 2015 Gosling starred alongside Christian Bale, Steve Carell and Brad Pitt in “The Big Short,” written and directed by Adam McKay and in the Shane Black directed comedy “The Nice Guys” alongside Russell Crowe.

In 2016, Gosling starred opposite Emma Stone in “La La Land” for writer director Damien Chazelle. The film received mass attention receiving 14 Academy Award nominations including Best Film and Best Actor. The film also broke the record for most Golden Globes won by a movie including Gosling’s award for Best Actor. His outstanding performance was also recognized by the Screen Actors Guild, the Broadcast Film Critics Association, the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, the AACTA Awards, and various Film Critic Associations accumulating over 20 nominations nationwide. Gosling took home the prestigious Vanguard Award at the Palm Springs International Film festival as well as Outstanding Performer of the Year Award at The Santa Barbara International Film Festival.

In 2017, Gosling starred alongside Harrison Ford in “Blade Runner 2049” directed by Denis Villeneuve and in 2018, he starred in the Neil Armstrong biopic, “First Man” directed by Damien Chazelle.

Gosling recently starred in Netflix’s “The Gray Man” an action thriller directed by Anthony and Joe Russo.

AMERICA FERRERA (Gloria) is an award-winning actor, director and producer known for her breakthrough role as Betty Suarez on ABC’s hit comedy, Ugly Betty. For her performance, Ferrera was awarded an Emmy, a Screen Actors Guild Award and a Golden Globe, as well as ALMA and Imagen Awards.

In 2021, Ferrera ended her tenure on NBC’s beloved workplace comedy, Superstore. Ferrera executive produced, directed and starred in the series throughout its six-season run.

Ferrera was recently seen on the Apple TV+ series WeCrashed opposite Jared Leto and Anne Hathaway. In the series, Ferrera plays Elishia Kennedy, a successful CEO and entrepreneur who is conned into leaving her own company and joining WeWork but is eventually pushed out.

Ferrera will make her feature directorial debut with an adaptation of Erika Sánchez’s New York Times bestselling novel, I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter, for Netflix. Ferrera executive produced and directed episodes for Seasons 1 & 2 of Netflix’s hit Latinx Dramedy, Gentefied; the series follows three Mexican American cousins and their struggle to chase the American Dream.

In July of 2020, Ferrera was announced as a Founding Investor of Angel City Football Club, a planned National Women's Soccer League expansion team that began play in 2022. The team is based in Los Angeles, California. Ferrera is also an investor in the Period Company, a revolutionary and sustainable company centered around the importance of menstrual equity.

A longtime activist, Ferrera co-founded HARNESS in 2016 with her husband, Ryan Piers Williams, and Wilmer Valderrama. HARNESS is a community of artists, influencers and grassroots leaders that provides education and engagement opportunities to amplify the organizations and individuals working on behalf of social justice.

In 2020, Ferrera launched Poderistas alongside Eva Longoria Bastón and other Latina Leaders. Poderistas is a digital lifestyle community and non-profit built to inspire, affirm, and inform Latinas so they can leverage their power to transform their lives, their families, their community and their nation. Ferrera is also a prolific speaker having spoken at major events such as Women’s March, the DNC, March for Our Lives, etc. She was also a chair for the Artists’ Committee for the Women’s March on Washington. Her activism has even extended on screen in several television documentaries including Not Done: Women Remaking America for PBS, the EPIX TV mini-series, America Divided, Showtime’s ground-breaking documentary, The Years of Living Dangerously, and Nicholas Kristof’s series for PBS Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide.

In 2018, Ferrera released her first book, landing on the New York Times best-seller list. American Like Me is a vibrant and varied collection of first-person accounts from prominent figures about the experience of growing up between cultures in America. Curated and edited by Ferrera, the anthology includes essays that share her own perspective of growing up as the daughter of Honduran immigrants in Los Angeles. Contributors to the book include Lin-Manuel Miranda, Roxane Gay, Issa Rae, Kumail Nanjiani, Congressman Joaquin Castro, Kal Penn, Uzo Aduba, Jenny Zhang, Michelle Kwan, Padma Lakshmi and many others. Ferrera was featured as the face of Covergirl’s Fresh Clean Skincare collection, the company’s first clean, vegan skincare line.

Some of Ferrera’s television and film credits include Real Women Have Curves; Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (parts 1 and 2); Diego Luna’s biopic, Cesar Chavez, (ALMA Award Special achievement in Film); Ryan Piers Williams' The Dry Land, (Best International Film Edinburgh Film Festival); Ryan Piers Williams’ drama X/Y, which she co-produced and starred in; David Ayer’s crime thriller End of Watch; Ricky Gervais’ Special Correspondents; It’s a Disaster; Lords of Dogtown; How the Garcia Girls Spent Their Summer, among many others. She lends her vocal talents to the Oscar-nominated franchise films How to Train Your Dragon as Astrid.

On stage, she has appeared off-Broadway in Terrence McNally’s Lips Together, Teeth Apart; Laura Marks’ Bethany; and Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead, directed by Trip Cullman. She graced the stage as Roxie Hart in the West End production of the hit musical Chicago.

In 2006, Ferrera founded her own television and film production company, TAKE FOUNTAIN.

Born and raised in Los Angeles, Ferrera is the youngest of six children. As a graduate of the University of Southern California, Ferrera studied International Relations while pursuing her film and television career. She currently resides in New York City with her husband and two children.

KATE McKINNON (Barbie) won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series in 2016 and 2017 and was nominated every year from 2014 to 2021 for her work on Saturday Night Live. In addition, she earned a Critics Choice Award for Best Actress in a Comedy Series in 2016.

McKinnon’s recent roles include Jay Roach’s Bombshell opposite Margot Robbie, Danny Boyle’s Beatles-inspired musical romcom Yesterday, starring opposite Mila Kunis in the action-comedy The Spy Who Dumped Me, Paul Feig’s 2016 reboot of Ghostbusters, Rough Night opposite Scarlett Johansson, Office Christmas Party with Jason Bateman and Jennifer Aniston, and a cameo in Judd Apatow’s Netflix farce, The Bubble. In addition, she has voiced roles in various animated projects, including Oscar-nominated Ferdinand, Pixar’s Finding Dory, and as the voice of Lulu in DC League of Super Pets, opposite Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart. She has also voiced roles in several TV series, including The Magic School Bus Rides Again, The Simpsons and Family Guy. She was nominated for a 2017 Daytime Emmy for her work on the PBS animated series Nature Cat and can be heard as Queen Mortuana in the Audible medieval fantasy-comedy series Heads Will Roll, which she co-created.

She was recently seen playing Carole Baskin in the Peacock limited series Joe vs Carole, based on the Wondery podcast and characters made popular on Netflix’s documentary series Tiger King.

ISSA RAE (Barbie) has her own unique flare and infectious sense of humor, which first garnered her attention via her award-winning web series and the accompanying New York Times best-seller The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl. She created and starred in the Peabody-award-winning HBO series Insecure, which garnered her multiple Emmy and Golden Globe nominations. Rae has also made her mark on the big screen, starring in The Photograph and The Lovebirds.

In 2020 Rae formed HOORAE, a multi-faceted media company that develops content across mediums in an effort to continue to break boundaries in storytelling and representation. HOORAE is comprised of HOORAE Media for film, TV and digital; Radio, the music label, music supervision company, and ‘audio everywhere’ company; and ColorCreative, its management division. Via HOORAE's WarnerMedia deal, Issa expanded her Executive Producer slate with the Emmy-award nominated A Black Lady Sketch Show, the fan-favorite docuseries Sweet Life, and the HBOMax series Rap Sh*t.

Rae's commitment to South LA is evident in both her personal and professional pursuits. After planting roots near her childhood home, Issa decided to set up the HOORAE headquarters in the heart of South LA. Her participation in the non-profit organization Destination Crenshaw furthers her mission of celebrating Black Angelenos and her ownership in Hilltop Cafe + Kitchen provides much-needed jobs and opportunities for local residents as well as a space for creatives to unlock their potential.

MICHAEL CERA (Allan) has appeared in the FOX series Arrested Development, and in feature films Superbad, Juno, Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist, Youth In Revolt, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, Crystal Fairy and the Magical Cactus, This is the End, and Molly's Game.

Cera made his Broadway debut in Kenneth Lonergan’s This is Our Youth and also starred in Lonergan’s Lobby Hero, for which he received a Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actor in a Play. Cera also completed the Lonergan trilogy on Broadway with a starring role in The Waverly Gallery, opposite Elaine May, Lucas Hedges and Joan Allen.

Currently, Cera can be seen starring alongside Amy Schumer in the critically acclaimed series Life & Beth on Hulu.

SIMU LIU (Ken) made history as the star of the first Asian-fronted movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe in Destin Daniel Cretton’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, which garnered him The People’s Choice Award for Favorite Action Movie Star.

For five seasons, Liu starred in the CBC/Netflix comedy series Kim’s Convenience, which won the ACTRA Awards for Outstanding Ensemble in 2017 and was also nominated for the same award in 2018. Kim's Convenience also went on to win the award for Best Comedy Series at the 2018 Canadian Screen Awards. The first Canadian television series with an all-Asian lead cast, the series chronicles the day-to-day micro-dramas encountered by a Korean immigrant family that runs a corner grocery store.

Liu’s first major role was on the critically acclaimed OMNI crime drama Blood and Water, the first trilingual series (English, Mandarin, and Cantonese) produced by Canadian television, for which he received nominations at the ACTRA Awards and Canadian Screen Awards. Aside from his performance on screen, Liu participated in the writing room for the series by contributing to the show’s second season as a story editor and as the main writer for one episode.

He starred alongside Mark Wahlberg in Arthur the King and appeared in the film adaptation of Taylor Jenkins Reid’s bestseller One True Loves opposite Phillipa Soo. Liu’s other film and television credits include ABC’s Fresh Off the Boat, Awkwafina Is Nora from Queens, NBC’s Taken, and Amazon’s The Expanse.

His memoir, We Are Dreamers: An Immigrant Superhero Origin Story, was published by HarperCollins in May 2022. Born in Harbin, China, Liu immigrated to Canada at the age of five and is fluent in Mandarin. He is currently developing long-form projects under his 4:12 Entertainment banner, through which he has previously directed, produced and optioned content for film and digital.

ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS

GRETA GERWIG (Director / Writer / Executive Producer) is an Academy Award-nominated director and writer who has established herself as one of Hollywood’s most important voices. Prior to writing (with Noah Baumbach) and filming Barbie, Gerwig’s last film, Little Women, starred Saoirse Ronan, Timothée Chalamet, and Florence Pugh and was nominated for six Academy Awards, five BAFTA Awards as well as PGA and WGA honors. Her debut film, Lady Bird, was nominated for five Academy Awards, including nominations for Gerwig for Best Director and Best Original Screenplay.

Gerwig is also a prolific actor, who received a Golden Globe nomination for her performance in Frances Ha, which she also co-wrote with Noah Baumbach. Last year she starred in his latest film, White Noise, opposite Adam Driver. Her additional acting credits include Jackie, Maggie’s Plan, 20th Century Women, Lola versus, Damsels in Distress and Mistress America.

DAVID HEYMAN (Producer) is the Academy and BAFTA Award-nominated producer of Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie and Al Pacino; Noah Baumbach’s Marriage Story, which starred Adam Driver, Scarlett Johansson and Laura Dern; and Alfonso Cuarón’s Gravity, starring Sandra Bullock and George Clooney.

Heyman also produced all eight film adaptations of J.K Rowling’s hugely successful Harry Potter books as well as the three Fantastic Beasts films.

Among his other film credits are the two Paul King-directed Paddington films based on Michael Bond’s universally beloved books, the first of which starred Hugh Bonneville, Sally Hawkins Julie Walters, and featuring Nicole Kidman; the sequel, which reunited Bonneville, Hawkins and Walters and featured Hugh Grant and Brendan Gleeson; the comedies We’re the Millers, starring Jennifer Aniston and Jason Sudeikis, and Yes Man, starring Jim Carrey and Zooey Deschanel; Francis Lawrence’s science fiction thriller I Am Legend, starring Will Smith; and Mark Herman’s Holocaust drama The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, starring Vera Farmiga and David Thewlis. His most recent film to appear in theaters was Noah Baumbach’s acclaimed 2022 adaptation of Don DeLillo’s White Noise, starring Adam Driver and Greta Gerwig.

Heyman has a wide range of films upcoming, including Wonka, about the young Willy Wonka, starring Timothée Chalamet in the title role, under the direction of Paul King.

TOM ACKERLEY (Producer), after years of working as an assistant director, including on the film The two faces of January, transitioned to producing and launched LuckyChap Entertainment with the intent of telling female-driven stories and promoting new filmmakers.

LuckyChap is in post-production on Emerald Fennell’s film Saltburn, and on Megan Park’s film My Old Ass, which will be produced under their new feature film first look deal with Indian Paintbrush. LuckyChap also produced 2023’s Boston Strangler, which stars Keira Knightley.

LuckyChap’s feature Promising Young Woman, starring Carey Mulligan, was released on December 25th, 2020. The film, which debuted at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival, marked Emerald Fennell’s directorial debut. Promising Young Woman received five Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, four Golden Globe nominations, and six BAFTA nominations. Additionally, Ackerley received the Producer of the Year honor by a in 2020 (along with Margot Robbie and Josey McNamara). In 2017, LuckyChap premiered the film I, Tonya at the Toronto Film Festival, which was then acquired by Neon. The film went on to receive an Academy Award for Allison Janney’s supporting actress role, along with two additional nominations, including Margot Robbie for lead actress.

On the television side, LuckyChap’s limited series Mike, starring Trevante Rhodes, was released on August 25th, 2022 on Hulu. Mike was produced alongside Clubhouse Pictures, The Gist of It, Entertainment 360 and 20th Television. LuckyChap recently produced the hit limited series Maid for Netflix, which was released in October 2021. The series stars Margaret Qualley and Andie MacDowell and quickly became one of Netflix’s most-watched limited series. Margaret Qualley received an Emmy nomination for her performance and Maid also received Emmy nominations for writing and directing. Additionally, Maid received a Critics Choice nomination for Best Limited Series and was named one of AFI’s Top Television Programs of the Year. In 2019, Ackerley also served as a producer on Hulu’s series Dollface, starring Kat Dennings. The show’s second season was released in February 2022.

ROBBIE BRENNER (Producer) is an Academy Award- and PGA Award-nominated producer for the 2013 film Dallas Buyers Club. Brenner also produced the features The In Between, Call Jane, the Escape Plan films, Burden and The Tribes of Palos Verdes, and executive produced The Night Clerk, The Space Between Us, The Disappointments Room and The Best of Me.

Brenner’s upcoming titles as a producer include Masters of the Universe and Signal Hill.

RODRIGO PRIETO (Director of Photography) was born in Mexico City in 1965, the son of a Mexican father and an American mother from Montana. He studied at the Centro de Capacitación Cinematográfica (CCC), in Mexico City, where he focused in Cinematography. He now lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Monica, and his daughters Maria Fernanda, and Ximena.

Prieto started his career shooting Television commercials at the age of 22, moving into features with Un Instante Para Morir in 1992. He built a reputation for meticulous attention to visual and dramatic detail with such films as Sobrenatural, which garnered him Mexico's Ariel Award in 1996 (Mexico’s Academy Award), and Carlos Carrera's Un Embrujo (Under A Spell) which took the Concha de Plata for Best Cinematography at the San Sebastian Film Festival, in addition to another Ariel Award.

Amores perros (2000) brought him to the attention of the world film community. His work on the feature, directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu, garnered Prieto several honors, including a third Ariel Award and the Golden Frog Award at the Camerimage International Film Festival of the Art of Cinematography in Poland.

His subsequent films as cinematographer have included Julie Taymor's Frida, for which he was an ASC Award nominee; Curtis Hanson's 8 Mile; Spike Lee's 25th Hour; and, again for Alejandro González Iñárritu, the award-winning 21 Grams. In 2003, he went to Cuba with director Oliver Stone to shoot Comandante, a documentary on Fidel Castro. The two then went to the Middle East to film a documentary on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Persona Non Grata. Their next project together was the epic Alexander, for which Prieto was honored with the Silver Frog Award at the Camerimage International Film Festival.

For his work on Ang Lee's Brokeback Mountain, Prieto was nominated for an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, and an American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) Award. His cinematography on the film was cited as the year's best by the Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association, the Florida Film Critics Circle, and the Chicago Film Critics Association.

In 2006, Prieto and Iñárritu reunited for Babel, which earned him his second consecutive BAFTA Award nomination. After this, he travelled to Hong Kong and Shanghai with Ang Lee to shoot Lust, Caution, which earned a Golden Osella award for Best Cinematography at the Venice Film Festival and was also nominated for an Independent Spirit Award in 2008. He then shot State of Play for director Kevin Macdonald, after which he went to Madrid, Spain to collaborate with director Pedro Almodóvar on Broken Embraces, starring Penélope Cruz. From there, he went to Barcelona to join forces once again with Iñárritu for Biutiful, marking their fourth film together.

Towards the end of 2009, Prieto worked once again with Oliver Stone for Wall Street, Money Never Sleeps, after which he shifted gears to the Great Depression, collaborating with director Francis Laurence on the drama Water for Elephants. His next project was We Bought a Zoo with helmer Cameron Crowe, starring Matt Damon and Scarlett Johansen.

In the summer of 2011 Rodrigo joined Ben Affleck to make the political thriller Argo, which went on to win the Academy award for Best Picture in 2013. Upon completing Argo, Rodrigo directed his first short film, called Likeness starring Elle Fanning, dealing with eating disorders. The short premiered in the Tribeca Film Festival and has generated intense interest online, going viral shortly after its release on Youtube in December 2013.

Early in 2012, Director Martin Scorsese asked Prieto to shoot his film The Wolf of Wall Street with Leonardo Dicaprio. Principal photography was completed in New York in February of 2013. Immediately after that Prieto flew to Santa Fe, New Mexico to shoot The Homesman, helmed and starred by Tommy Lee Jones, with Hillary Swank.

Prieto filmed Martin Scorsese’s highly anticipated HBO pilot Vinyl, created by Terrence Winter and co-produced by Mick Jagger. He also shot Scorsese’s next film, Silence, starring Liam Neeson, Adam Driver and Andrew Garfield which was released in 2016. Prieto shot Morten Tyldum’s space odyssey Passengers starring Jennifer Lawrence and Chris Pratt released December 2016.

He has been nominated for Academy Awards for Best Cinematography for both Martin Scorsese features Silence (2016) and The Irishman (2019). Preito shot the 2020 Julie Taymor-directed film, The Glorias, and the current Martin Scorsese feature, Killers of the Flower Moon.

SARAH GREENWOOD (Production Designer) is one of the film industry’s most revered and honored production designers, with multiple Academy Award nominations and BAFTA Award nominations and wins. She has been a regular collaborator with director Joe Wright, most recently working on Cyrano, for which she was BAFTA-nominated for Best Production Design.

Prior to this Greenwood teamed with Wright on Darkest Hour starring Gary Oldman for which she received Academy Award, ADG Award and BAFTA Award nominations; and before this Anna Karenina for which she received an Academy Award and BAFTA nomination, and the ADG and Critics Choice Award for Best Production Design. Other feature collaborations with Wright comprise Hanna; The Soloist; Atonement for which she received an Academy Award and ADG nomination, as well as the BAFTA Award for production design. Greenwood also received an Academy Award nomination for Wright’s Pride & Prejudice.

Further notable feature credits include Ben Wheatley’s Rebecca for which Greenwood received a BAFTA nomination and Bill Condon’s Beauty and the Beast which garnered her an Academy Award, ADG, BAFTA and Critics Choice Award nominations. Greenwood has twice collaborated with director Guy Ritchie on Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows and Sherlock Holmes for which she received an Academy Award nomination and the ADG Award for Best Production Design. Before this Greenwood worked with director Bharat Nalluri on Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day; Tom Vaughan on Starter for 10; Stefan Schwartz on The Abduction Club, David Kane on both Born Romantic and This Year’s Love; Sandra Goldbacher on The Governess and Robert Bierman on A Merry War.

Key television credits include Joe Wright’s mini-series The Last King for which Greenwood was BAFTA nominated, Wright’s Bodily Harm and Nature Boy; Paul Seed’s Ready When You Are Mr. McGill; Jean Stewart’s Loving You; Robert Bierman’s The Moonstone; Mike Barker’s The Tenant of Wildfell Hall for which Greenwood was BAFTA nominated; Patrick Marber’s Performance: After Miss Julie; Chris Rawlence’s The King of Hearts and Peter Symes’ Black Daisies for the Bride.

JACQUELINE DURRAN (Costume Designer) marks Barbie as her second outing with director Greta Gerwig having previously collaborated on Little Women which garnered Durran the Academy and BAFTA Awards for Best Costume Design, as well as Chicago Film Critics Association and Critic’s Choice Award nominations. Durran had previously won the Academy Award for Best Costume for Joe Wright’s Anna Karenina.

Durran’s many other collaborations with director Joe Wright comprise most recently Cyrano for which she was nominated for an Academy Award; Darkest Hour which garnered her both Academy and BAFTA nominations; Pan; The Soloist; Atonement for which she received Academy, BAFTA, Satellite and Costume Designers Guild Award nominations, and Pride and Prejudice for which Durran also received Academy and BAFTA award nominations.

Prior to Barbie, Durran collaborated with director Matt Reeves on The Batman and prior to this directors Pablo Larrain on Spencer and Sam Mendes on 1917. She worked with Mike Leigh on Peterloo and director Garth Davis on Mary Magdalene, and before this Bill Condon on Beauty and the Beast which garnered Durran Academy, BAFTA, Costume Designers Guild Award nominations and the Saturn Award for Best Costume Design.

A frequent collaborator with director Mike Leigh, Durran had previously designed costumes for Mr Turner for which she received both the Academy and BAFTA Award nominations; Another Year, Happy-Go-Lucky and Vera Drake. Other notable credits include Justin Kurzel’s Macbeth; Richard Ayoade’s The Double; Tomas Alfredson’s Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy; Susanna White’s Nanny McPhee Returns; Sally Potter’s Yes and David Mackenzie’s Young Adam. Durran also designed for executive producer Steve McQueen’s BBC series Small Axe for which she received the BAFTA TV Award for Costume Design.