Randall Park Says ‘Barbie’ Success Should Mean ‘More Movies By and About Women’ — Not Toys

Hollywood is jumping on the toy-based movie train after the success of Barbie — but Randall Park thinks that is the wrong takeaway.

In an interview with Rolling Stone, the actor, who directed the new film Shortcomings, touched on how he believes the “industry is taking the wrong lessons” from Barbie‘s popularity.

“Barbie is this massive blockbuster, and the idea is: Make more movies about toys! No — make more movies by and about women!” said Park, 49, adding later, “It’s Greta Gerwig!”

Park also reflected on the success of 2018’s Crazy Rich Asians as a turning point, saying he was “very conscious and in support of the importance of” that film. “It felt like the beginning of something,” he said.

“Of a shift in culture for Asian Americans, and I think it really spoke to the massive success of that movie. It wasn’t just Asians watching that movie — it was so many different people,” he said.

“From my perspective, in this industry we had been told time and again that our stories wouldn’t connect with Middle America,” Park added. “They won’t understand it and won’t be able to identify with our stories. It proved that these stories are universal, ultimately, and for everybody.”

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Margot Robbie in Barbie (2023).

Jaap Buitendijk/Warner Bros.

Featuring an extensive star-studded cast led by Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, Barbie has passed $1 billion in worldwide ticket sales, making Gerwig, 40, the first female director to hit this box-office milestone as a solo director.

Barbie became Warner Bros. Pictures’ biggest-selling film for a Monday ever following its $155 million domestic opening weekend, and the industry’s biggest opening weekend for a movie directed by a woman.

The movie’s success has led Mattel, the Barbie-owning toy company, to plan to adapt 14 additional Mattel properties — including a Polly Pocket movie, directed by Lena Dunham and starring Lily Collins — for the big screen.

Other Mattel film projects with notable directors, producers or actors attached include a Major Matt Mason movie starring Tom Hanks, a Hot Wheels film produced by J.J. Abrams, and a Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots film with Vin Diesel.

From L: Lena Dunham; Polly Pocket toy; Lily Collins.

Kate Green/BAFTA/Getty; Mattel; Steve Granitz/FilmMagic

Both Gerwig and Robbie have touched on the idea of more potential Barbie movies in the future, with the director telling PEOPLE for a Barbie special edition that she hopes hers “is the launch of a world and a bunch of different Barbie movies.”

“There’s a tone and a humor and a joy, and obviously the world is so beautiful,” added Gerwig. “I want to go back to Barbie Land.”

As for Robbie, who also produced Barbie, the Oscar nominee said during a cover interview with TIME magazine published in June, “I think you fall into a bit of a trap if you try and set up a first movie whilst also planning for sequels.”

Still, she has been part of conversations about what the future holds for Barbie in terms of a cinematic experience to follow the first film. “It could go a million different directions from this point,” she said.

Barbie is now in theaters.

Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education