Greta Gerwig's Barbie emerged as a record-breaking standout this year, earning a top spot on my list of the best comedies of 2023. However, its billion-dollar box office triumph wasn't always a certainty. According to the director, investors were apprehensive about the film's prospects due to concerns surrounding a banned Barbie-adjacent short film crafted by Todd Haynes over three decades ago.
In a candid conversation, directors of some of this year's standout films, including Blitz Bazawule (The Color Purple), Bradley Cooper (Maestro), Ava DuVernay (Origin), Greta Gerwig (Barbie), Todd Haynes (May December), and Michael Mann (Ferrari), gathered for The Hollywood Reporter's Director Roundtable. Amid the chat, Greta Gerwig and Haynes got into a captivating discussion about the hurdles the former encountered while bringing Barbie movie to life. Gerwig, acknowledging Haynes' influence, noted the unease his short film instilled in the movie's backers regarding her creative directions. She shared:
