Before Barbie hit theaters, it was hard to predict just how many people would want to see a movie based on a Mattel doll geared toward children. Even one of its writers, Noah Baumbach, initially thought the movie was a “terrible idea” before his partner Greta Gerwig signed him up for it. However, the Warner Bros. production won over critics and audiences over amid the Barbenheimer double feature trend that rolled around last summer. Ahead of all that though, there were some serious discussions amid the development process. And, to that point, its lead and producer, Margot Robbie, recalled “one of the biggest fights” she faced -- and it revolved around whether men would see the flick.
Greta Gerwig’s Barbie movie wasn’t geared towards a female-only audience. Like the Little Women director told The New York Times, she was hoping her comedy would be an invitation for both genders to join the party. Margot Robbie shared this hope with her director and admitted during an actress roundtable with The Hollywood Reporter (part of which was shared in an Instagram video) that execs had fears over the film's theoretical reach:
