Sony's Live-Action 'Barbie' Movie Delayed To 2020
Sony's live-action "Barbie" movie starring Anne Hathaway has been delayed once again and this time for two years. Originally slated to hit theaters on June 29, 2018, the film was moved pushed back to Aug. 8, 2018 before the studio announced that the film will instead premiere on May 8, 2020.
Amy Schumer was originally cast to play the titular role but left the project last March citing scheduling issues. Hathaway was brought on board and reportedly undergone talks last summer. However, given Schumer's background in raunchy comedy, she may not have been a perfect fit for a film aimed at young girls.
The film, based on the iconic toy line from Mattel, will be directed by Alethea Jones and developed in the vein of "Splash," "Enchanted" and "Big" where the main character is kicked out of Barbieland for not being perfect enough, setting the stage for her real-world adventure.
While she may not be starring as the titular character, Schumer did had a hand in creating the script for the "Barbie" movie working alongside Lindsey Beer, Jenny Bicks, Kim Caramele, Diablo Cody, Bert V. Royal, and Hilary Winston. Amy Pascal, Walter F. Parkes, and Laurie MacDonald will produce with the latter two being the ones who initiated the original deal with Sony and Mattel back in 2014.
Mattel began selling Barbie dolls back in 1959 at a time when child-like dolls were the norm. Breaking away from these traditional dolls with something that features an adult body made it a hit with children.
Since then, Barbie has had 150 careers including serving as a princess, president, mermaid and movie star. She was also featured in several animated films both as her toy self as in Toy-Story and as one her princess characters.
The live-action "Barbie" movie is latest toy franchise-turned-movie in Hollywood following the adaptation of Hasbro's G.I. Joe and Transformers franchises into full-fledged feature films.
