The new Barbie movie - starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling as Barbie and Ken - is packing in audiences at the cinema.

With pink everywhere, Barbie is proving a huge box office hit over the film's opening weekend.

In a behind-the-scenes look at Barbie, here's 15 fun facts about the film.

Watford Observer: Ryan Gosling as Ken in Warner Bros. Pictures’ Barbie movie.Ryan Gosling as Ken in Warner Bros. Pictures’ Barbie movie. (Image: Jaap Buitendijk / © 2022 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.)

 

 

1. Barbie Land is in Hertfordshire!

Watford Observer: Ryan Gosling, Margot Robbie and writer/director Greta Gerwig on the set of Barbie, a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Ryan Gosling, Margot Robbie and writer/director Greta Gerwig on the set of Barbie, a Warner Bros. Pictures release. (Image: Jaap Buitendijk / 2023 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.)

Cameras rolled on Barbie on March 21, 2022, at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden (WBSL) in Hertfordshire.

This was nearly two years to the date when, at the start of the pandemic, Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach shut themselves away in their New York apartment to craft the screenplay Gerwig would later sign on to direct.

Filmed extensively at WBSL, the production turned eight of the stages into Barbie Land.

The film and television studio near Watford posted on social media: "Huge congratulations to the amazing cast and crew, and all the teams who worked so hard to bring Barbie to the big screen!"

Watford Observer: Ryan Gosling and Margot Robbie on the set of Warner Bros. Pictures’ BARBIE movie.Ryan Gosling and Margot Robbie on the set of Warner Bros. Pictures’ BARBIE movie. (Image: Jaap Buitendijk / © 2023 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.)

 

2. Lights, camera, action!

During development, director Greta Gerwig called fellow director Peter Weir to ask about his work on 'The Truman Show' in relation to lighting and creating that authentically artificial feel that she wanted for Barbie Land.

Audiences won’t see natural sunlight until Barbie and Ken arrive in Los Angeles.

 

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The entirety of the Barbie Land scenes were filmed on the soundstages at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden. 

There are no solid black or white colors in any of the Barbie Land set designs. There is a lot of pink though!

Watford Observer: Behind the scenes of filming Barbie, with Ryan Gosling, Kate McKinnon and director/writer Greta Gerwig on the set of Warner Bros. Pictures’ Barbie.Behind the scenes of filming Barbie, with Ryan Gosling, Kate McKinnon and director/writer Greta Gerwig on the set of Warner Bros. Pictures’ Barbie. (Image: Jaap Buitendijk / © 2023 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.)

 

3. Toy story

The view outside of the Mattel boardroom was a scenic panorama.

It was painted by hand and was over 250 feet long. It includes a nod to Warner Bros - a keen eye will spot the company logo.

Los Angeles is also painted in, a nod to the Emerald City from 'The Wizard of Oz'.

 

4. Barbie's Dream House

Watford Observer: Margot Robbie as Barbie looking over Barbie Land.Margot Robbie as Barbie looking over Barbie Land. (Image: Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures)

The Barbie DreamHouses were over 25 feet high. Margot Robbie did all her own stunts, including jumping from the top of the house.

Kate McKinnon’s Barbie’s House has holes hidden across the set, designed to enable McKinnon to hide one of her actual legs during filming, with a fake leg up against the wall to give the impression she is in the splits.

 

5. Barbie on the beach 
While the cast and crew filmed the “sunny” Barbie Land beach scenes on Stage N at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden, a blizzard was making life very cold for everyone outside!

 

6. Come on Barbie, let's go party!

In the Barbie dance party sequence, choreographer Jennifer White deliberately included specific dance elements from Busby Berkeley’s 'Gold Diggers', one of director Greta Gerwig’s favourite films.

 

7. Hobby horses

There were over 30 individual hobby horses made for the Kens.

They were all handmade and the art department gave them all their own individual characteristics.

 

8. Barbie ambulance

The Barbie ambulance, which rescues Ken after his surfing mishap, was a full-sized copy of a toy ambulance.

Another joint effort between the departments, it automatically opens out into a doctor’s surgery, a fully realised special effect on set.

 

9. Barbie's car

Watford Observer: Margot Robbie as Barbie in her car.Margot Robbie as Barbie in her car. (Image: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures)

Barbie’s convertible is inspired by a Chevy classic.

Barbie’s car was operated by a remote-controlled transmitter with a member of the SFX team sitting in a custom-built chair and using VR drone technology, enabling Margot Robbie’s Barbie to “drive” hands-free around the set.

Barbie’s vehicle is electric, as is Ken’s Hummer, which was one of the first electric Hummers to come off the production line.

The flamingo mailbox outside Barbie’s DreamHouse also doubles as an electric charging station for Barbie’s car.

 

10. Arriving in LA

For Barbie and Ken’s arrival in Los Angeles, director Greta Gerwig used the reference of 'Midnight Cowboy' to illustrate how she wanted them to appear, specifically the sequence when Jon Voight is walking through New York City, clearly out of place.

 

11. Who does Will Ferrell play? 

Anchorman legend Will Ferrell’s character in the Barbie is simply named Mattel CEO - his name is never revealed.

Similarly, certain Mattel employees, including Jamie Demetriou’s character, are named Mattel Executive #1, #2 etc. Ironically, only Connor Swindell’s Mattel intern is given a name, Aaron Dinkins.

 

12. Barbie fashion

When Barbie observes a session of the Barbie Land Supreme Court, Margot Robbie is wearing a vintage Chanel suit that had been previously worn by model and actress Claudia Schiffer.

 

13. Barbie doll

In 'Barbie', Margot Robbie’s Barbie never wears any rings on her fingers - a nod to the classic toy doll having fingers that are connected, and therefore don’t accommodate rings.

 

14. The Kens

Watford Observer: Ryan Gosling as Ken in Barbie.Ryan Gosling as Ken in Barbie. (Image: Warner Bros)

The Kens may have their differences, however, they do share one thing in common apart from their adoration of the Barbies: body waxing.

As director Greta Gerwig explained to them on numerous occasions, Kens are not mammals, they’re dolls!

 

15. Barbie and the Oscars

The cast and crew of 'Barbie' have 50 Academy Award nominations between them - including ones for Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling - and a total of eight Oscar wins.

 

Watford Observer: Margot Robbie as Barbie in Warner Bros. Pictures’ Barbie movie.Margot Robbie as Barbie in Warner Bros. Pictures’ Barbie movie. (Image: Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures)

Watford Observer: Margot Robbie as Barbie in Warner Bros. Pictures’ 'BARBIE', a Warner Bros. Pictures release.Margot Robbie as Barbie in Warner Bros. Pictures’ 'BARBIE', a Warner Bros. Pictures release. (Image: Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures)