Speaking with Golden Globe winner Cillian Murphy during the 2023 edition of Variety’s Actors on Actors, Oscar nominee Margot Robbie shared that an Oppenheimer producer tried to prevent Barbenheimer from happening by asking her to move the Barbie release date.
Robbie revealed that she stood her ground by telling long-time producer Charles Roven to change Oppenheimer’s theatrical release date instead if they’re afraid of competition. Roven has previously worked with Robbie on 2021’s The Suicide Squad.
“One of your producers, Chuck Roven, called me, because we worked together on some other projects,” Robbie recalled. “And he was like, ‘I think you guys should move your date.’ And I was like, ‘We’re not moving our date. If you’re scared to be up against us, then you move your date.’ And he’s like, ‘We’re not moving our date. I just think it’d be better for you to move.’ And I was like, ‘We’re not moving!’”
Who made the Barbie movie?
Barbie was directed by Greta Gerwig from a screenplay she co-wrote with Noah Baumbach. It was produced by Robbie and Tom Ackerly for LuckyChap and Mattel Films’ Robbie Brenner along with Josey McNamara and Ynon Kreiz. During its theatrical run, it earned a worldwide gross of over $1.4 billion, making it the highest-grossing movie of 2023.
The film starred Robbie, Ryan Gosling, America Ferrera, Simu Liu, Kingsley Ben-Adir, Scott Evans, Kate McKinnon, Ariana Greenblatt, Alexandra Shipp, Emma Mackey, Issa Rae, Michael Cera, Hari Nef, Will Ferrell, Helen Mirren, Dua Lipa, and more. It’s original soundtrack is currently nominated for 11 Grammys, including Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Best Song Written for Visual Media.