Reports suggest that toy and entertainment giant Mattel is in discussions with Universal-owned animation studio Illumination, known for hits like the Despicable Me franchise and The Secret Life of Pets, to produce an animated Barbie theatrical film.
This potential collaboration follows the massive success of the live-action Barbie movie directed by Greta Gerwig, which starred Margot Robbie as the iconic doll and became the highest-grossing film of 2023, earning over $1.4 billion globally. Illumination also delivered a blockbuster this year with The Super Mario Bros. Movie, which grossed $1.36 billion, making it the second-highest-grossing film of 2023.
According to Matthew Belloni’s Puck newsletter, the new animated project would not interfere with any potential live-action Barbie sequel or Ken spin-off from Warner Bros. Pictures, as Mattel retains the animation rights. However, the report notes that Gerwig and Robbie are “not thrilled” by these developments.
The Barbie brand has a long history in animation, beginning with the launch of Mattel Entertainment and early 2000s direct-to-video CG fairy tales produced by Mainframe Entertainment in Canada. The first original Barbie animation, Barbie: Fairytopia, was introduced in 2005, and since then, the beloved doll has appeared in numerous animated specials, series, and web series. Most recently, Netflix has hosted these animated adventures, including Barbie: Mermaid Power, Barbie: Big City, Big Dreams, and 2023’s Barbie and Stacie to the Rescue.
The original Barbie fashion doll was created by American businesswoman Ruth Handler and introduced by Mattel in 1959.
