Hot on the fluffy pink heels of Barbie’s star-studded soundtrack announcement, a new trailer for Greta Gerwig’s film has just been released ahead of its release on July 21.
The trailer is soundtracked by Dua Lipa’s forthcoming single Dance the Night – out on May 26 – and gives a closer look at the highly-anticipated film, as well as Dua’s incoming dance-pop track. “To live in Barbie Land is to be a perfect being in a perfect place,” reads a synopsis from Warner Bros alongside the preview. “Unless you have a full-on existential crisis. Or you’re a Ken.”
The trailer opens with Margot Robbie’s Barbie drifting gracefully down from a rooftop, floating through the air, as a voiceover from Ryan Gosling’s Ken asks: “Barbie, can I come to your house tonight?” He’s got no ulterior motives; once there, he gamely joins in with her meticulously-planned night of choreography and costumes without a glimmer of irony or a single eye-roll. “This is the best day ever!” Barbie exclaims. “So was yesterday, and so is tomorrow, and every day from now until forever!”
Then, things suddenly get existential with a record scratch. “Do you guys ever think about dying?” she asks, cheerfully. It’s the very first hint that Barbie may be beginning to question the polished perfection of Barbieland. In one sequence, her fellow dolls are horrified as she develops (gasp!) flat feet; in another, she is exiled to the real world and forced to choose between a stiletto heel, and a Birkenstock sandal. Hasn’t anybody told Barbie that Birky Bostons clogs are the IT shoes of the season? She’ll be absolutely fine!
Like previous glimpses, the main trailer seems to confirm that Barbie will explore feminist themes; no surprise given Gerwig’s previous work on Frances Ha and Little Women. It also seems that the film will playfully explore the idea of unattainable beauty standards. Indeed, the film is partly inspired by Mary Pipher’s 1994 non-fiction book Reviving Ophelia, an examination of the societal pressures faced by American teenagers, and the negative influence of misogyny and sexism. Which is of course exactly what you’d expect for a Barbie movie.
Elsewhere, the musical line-up for Barbie has been revealed: Ava Max, Charli XCX, Dominic Fike, Dua Lipa, Fifty Fifty, Gayle, HAIM, Ice Spice, Kali, Karol G, Khalid, Lizzo, Nicki Minaj, PinkPantheress, Ryan Gosling, Tame Impala, and The Kid Laroi.
Executive produced by Mark Ronson, even more additions are said to be on the way at a later date. In other words, the entire thing is shaping up into a star-studded doozy – come on Barbie, let’s go party!
