Fresh offSimu Liu’s grand entrance in the MCU with last year’s blockbusterShang-Chi and the legend of the Ten Rings, the Marvel star has found his next project. As reported byVariety, Liu will be joining the cast ofBarbiein an unspecified role.
The news comes shortly afterAmerica Ferrera’s casting in the film, whose role is also still unknown, and Liu joins an impressive ensemble cast that featuresBirds of PreystarMargot Robbieas Barbie herself andBlade Runner 2049starRyan Goslingplaying Barbie’s iconic significant other Ken. The film is being directed byGreta Gerwigbased on a script she wrote with her long-time partnerNoah Buambach. The film itself is based on the popular doll line of the same name, and it is a project that has been in development since 2019.Barbieis expected to start production in early 2022 at Warner Brothers’ Leavesden Studios in London, and it is expected to hit theaters sometime in 2023.
Robbie is also producing through her production company LuckyChap with the company’s executiveTom Ackerley. Mattel Films’ executiveRobbie Brennerand filmmakerDavid Heymanare also serving as producers on the project.
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With the massive amount of talent involved in this film, it will be interesting to see what Gerwig, Robbie, and now Liu will bring to this toyetic adaptation. Gerwig is coming off her Oscar-nominated filmsLady BirdandLittle Women(2019) which her screenplays for both films were included in those nominations. On the other hand, besides Robbie’s endless acting credits, the actress has gone on to produce Oscar-nominated films likeI, TonyaandPromising Young Womanwhich both won an Oscar. If this trend continues we could seeBarbieas an Oscar contender with Ken and Barbie soaking it all in at their famous dream house. However, in all seriousness, this film has talent from every corner of its production, and it looks to have the best possible screenwriter, director, and cast money can buy to successfully bring the character of Barbie to life.
Liu was incredible as Shang-Chi and, fromhis SNL hosting gigalone, the actor has wonderful comedic timing. Just imagining him in a scene with Gosling’s Ken and Robbie’s Barbie, preferably partying, is already smile-inducing, and hopefully, we will find out whom he will be playing before the production begins shooting. For all the latestBarbienews, stick with Collider.
