The trailer shows Barbie having doubts about her perfect life after experiencing a cold shower, falling from her roof, and losing her arched feet. She meets another Barbie doll played by Kate McKinnon, who offers her a choice: she can either stay in Barbieland, or put on some Birkenstocks and go to the real world to “discover the truth about the universe.”
Robbie told Vogue that Gerwig has been very serious about Barbie, sending her episodes of This American Life and writing abstract poetry about the doll.
The film is partly inspired by Reviving Ophelia, a 1994 bestseller about how American girls change when they reach puberty. “How does this journey relate to what a teenage girl feels?” Gerwig asked Vogue. “Suddenly, she thinks, Oh, I’m not good enough.”
The trailer also reveals that Ryan Gosling’s Ken joins Barbie on her adventure to the real world. They end up in what looks like Venice, California, where Barbie encounters the male gaze for the first time—and gets her butt slapped by a man without her consent.
She responds by punching him in the face and landing herself and Ken in jail. Their mugshots are still cute, though.
Barbie also has to deal with Will Ferrell’s toy executive who wants to put her back in a box. Will Barbie find her true self in the real world, or will she have to go back to her dream house? You’ll have to wait until July 21, 2023 to find out when Barbie comes to theaters.
You can get ready by listening to the artists on Barbie’s recently released soundtrack list, which include Charlie XCX, Ice Spice, and Dua Lipa. And if you watch the trailer until the end, you might hear a snippet of what could be a Nicki Minaj remix of “Barbie Girl,” the iconic song that was rumored to not be on the Barbie soundtrack. This summer, we’re all just Barbz in a Barbie world.
