- "Barbie" was a massive success — and it's only the beginning of Mattel's film slate.
- But it feels as if "Barbie" could be teaching the wrong lessons about making films based on IP.
- Mattel isn't alone — there's an industry-wide move toward safer, IP-driven content.
Greta Gerwig's "Barbie," a riotous, pink-hued masterpiece, has shattered expectations — but it's not clear whether Mattel's heavy pipeline of films driven by toy IP is going to slay in the same way.
While there's been a steady drip of information about Mattel's upcoming film projects, the success of "Barbie" thrust them into the spotlight. Variety reported that there were 14 films featuring Mattel IP in active development — and that didn't even include any potential "Barbie" sequels, which feel inevitable even though Gerwig didn't seem interested.
If all of those films are as wacky and original as "Barbie," then great. But in a landscape that's already dominated by franchises and adaptations of existing IP, it's hard not to feel fatigued already as an audience member.
To be fair, many of Mattel's upcoming film projects were in the works long before "Barbie" hit theaters. Some of them even evoke the same kind of odd intrigue as "Barbie" did in its early stages: Daniel Kaluuya is producing an "A24-type" Barney movie, whatever that could mean. Lena Dunham is making a Polly Pocket film starring Lily Collins of "Emily in Paris" fame. JJ Abrams is making a "grounded and gritty" Hot Wheels movie, which does admittedly sound kind of cool.
But despite the acclaimed players joining Mattel's cause, a mass leveraging of IP on this scale is difficult to reconcile with the way that 'Barbie' itself pushes the limits of the brand. Robbie Brenner, the producer who runs Mattel Films, told company executives that they were going to have to "white-knuckle it" while watching, Time reported. For what it's worth, the film does include one character calling Barbie a fascist — something Gerwig said Mattel wasn't enthusiastic about.
As The New Yorker reported in a report on Mattel's post-"Barbie" plans, it's not just Mattel that's leaning heavily into IP. Warner Bros. Discovery is working on a scripted "Harry Potter" TV series, attempting to lean into a brand that's been tarnished for some by its creator's transphobia, not to mention a series of lackluster prequel films. Paramount Pictures CEO Brian Robbins told Variety in a profile published Wednesday that the studio's upcoming animated films would focus on familiar franchises like "Avatar: The Last Airbender," rather than going after "expensive original animated" films with less certain audiences.
The slate of Mattel films ahead, and the broader focus on established IP industry-wide, is worrying, and it's hard not to feel like the success of "Barbie" may impart the wrong lessons. The film was so good because Gerwig was allowed to subvert the brand itself, rather than relying on it. Hopefully, Mattel will take a similar tack with its future adaptations — but even then, it's hard not to feel a little despondent that filmmakers are having to turn to familiar properties to take big swings.
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July 28, 2023 at 04:16AM
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'Barbie' is teaching Hollywood all the wrong lessons - Insider
"Hollywood" - Google News
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