Remember When Amy Schumer Almost Played Barbie Instead of Margot Robbie?
Here’s how it all went down.
Barbiecore is at its peak after the latest teaser trailer for Barbie was released. With the forthcoming film trending, we can’t help but remember how the protagonist role came to be. If you’ve been keeping up with the project, then you know that at some point Amy Schumer got cast as the titular role. However, due to some changes, it ended up going to Margot Robbie. Let’s revisit exactly what happened.
The upcoming movie has been in the works for a while. In 2016, it was reported that Schumer was taking on the role of Barbie. However, in the following year, she announced she was backing out of the project. “Sadly, I’m not longer able to commit to Barbie due to scheduling conflicts,” she said in a statement to Variety at the time. “The film has so much promise, and Sony and Mattel have been great partners. I’m bummed, but look forward to seeing Barbie on the big screen.”
The role then went to Robbie in 2019. In 2022, Schumer shared the real reason she passed on Barbie. “They definitely didn’t want to do it the way I wanted to do it, the only way I was interested in doing it,” she told The Hollywood Reporter at the time.
Schumer went on to recall that the studio sent her a pair of Manolo Blahnik shoes as a way to celebrate the announcement of her role. However, the gesture ended up being a clear indication for Schumer as to why this was not the right movie for her. “The idea that that’s just what every woman must want, right there, I should have gone, ‘You’ve got the wrong gal,’” the comedian-slash-actor explained.
Fast forward to today and now the Barbie cast includes Robbie, Ryan Gosling, Dua Lipa, Issa Rae and more. Barbie hits theaters on July 21. Revisit the latest teaser trailer below.
