Sony Wins Rights to Live-Action Barbie Movie
Studio apparently hoping for a hit of problematically unattainable proportions
Long before movies based on action figures, building blocks and even Easter candy [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/133932-Movie-Rights-Optioned-For-Marshmallow-Peeps] were the hot ticket in Hollywood, generations of studios and producers have sought to create a live-action movie based on the iconic Barbie dolls. Pitches and overtures (outside of a series of direct-to-video animated features) had always been rejected by Mattel, but no longer: The company was reportedly won-over by a pitch from producers Walter Parkes and Laurie MacDonald, which quickly secured an immediate green light from Sony bigwigs Amy Pascal and Hannah Minghella.
Jenny Bicks, a former writer for Sex & The City, will pen the screenplay, which the producers describe as a comedy wherein Barbie functions as a "modern-day Mary Poppins" who uses her myriad professional skills to improve the lives of people she encounters. No casting has been announced, but the production will reportedly seek to "discover" a new, unknown young actress to take the lead role rather than casting an established star; with more well-known actors in the roles of folks Barbie encounters across what the studio hopes will be multiple films.
Barbie was created in 1959 by Ruth Handler, the wife of a Mattel co-founder, who had long tried in vain to convince the fledgling toy company that a "fashion doll" with an adult female body (as opposed to baby dolls which dominated the market at the time) would be a popular item. While on vacation in Germany, she discovered that a doll of the type she'd envisioned had already been produced as "Bild Lili," an adult-marketed toy based on a risque German comic strip. Using Lili as a model, Handler convinced Mattel to take a chance on Barbie - which quickly became one of the biggest-selling toys in history and the bedrock of the company's ongoing mega-success.
Presumably, this person [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5MJQvEeVTI] will not be considered for the title role.
Source: Deadline Hollywood [http://www.deadline.com/2014/04/sony-pictures-teams-with-mattel-to-fashion-film-franchise-based-on-barbie-toyline/]
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Studio apparently hoping for a hit of problematically unattainable proportions
Long before movies based on action figures, building blocks and even Easter candy [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/133932-Movie-Rights-Optioned-For-Marshmallow-Peeps] were the hot ticket in Hollywood, generations of studios and producers have sought to create a live-action movie based on the iconic Barbie dolls. Pitches and overtures (outside of a series of direct-to-video animated features) had always been rejected by Mattel, but no longer: The company was reportedly won-over by a pitch from producers Walter Parkes and Laurie MacDonald, which quickly secured an immediate green light from Sony bigwigs Amy Pascal and Hannah Minghella.
Jenny Bicks, a former writer for Sex & The City, will pen the screenplay, which the producers describe as a comedy wherein Barbie functions as a "modern-day Mary Poppins" who uses her myriad professional skills to improve the lives of people she encounters. No casting has been announced, but the production will reportedly seek to "discover" a new, unknown young actress to take the lead role rather than casting an established star; with more well-known actors in the roles of folks Barbie encounters across what the studio hopes will be multiple films.
Barbie was created in 1959 by Ruth Handler, the wife of a Mattel co-founder, who had long tried in vain to convince the fledgling toy company that a "fashion doll" with an adult female body (as opposed to baby dolls which dominated the market at the time) would be a popular item. While on vacation in Germany, she discovered that a doll of the type she'd envisioned had already been produced as "Bild Lili," an adult-marketed toy based on a risque German comic strip. Using Lili as a model, Handler convinced Mattel to take a chance on Barbie - which quickly became one of the biggest-selling toys in history and the bedrock of the company's ongoing mega-success.
Presumably, this person [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5MJQvEeVTI] will not be considered for the title role.
Source: Deadline Hollywood [http://www.deadline.com/2014/04/sony-pictures-teams-with-mattel-to-fashion-film-franchise-based-on-barbie-toyline/]
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