After more than 40 animated made-for-TV movies, the first live-action Barbie film is set to hit big screens around the world this weekend. While its release has been delayed in the UAE, it seems no one is immune to the buzz created by the comedy’s impending arrival.
Already a social media and marketing triumph, Barbie features a stellar cast including Margot Robbie in the titular role, Ryan Gosling as her friend Ken, as well as Dame Helen Mirren, Dua Lipa, Issa Rae and Simu Liu. Directed by acclaimed filmmaker Greta Gerwig, it’s pegged for opening-weekend success at the box office by industry insiders.
The excitement is a testament to the doll’s enduring popularity 64 years after it was launched by toymaker Mattel. After many physical evolutions and more than 200 careers on her CV, Barbie is still one of the most hardworking and bestselling dolls in history. Last year alone, the dolls generated $1.49 billion in sales, according to data company Statista.
When was Barbie born?
Barbie’s birthday is celebrated on March 9, the day she made her debut at the American International Toy Fair in New York City in 1959.
The brainchild of Mattel co-founder Ruth Handler, the first doll was named after Handler’s daughter Barbara. The first Barbie wore a zebra-print swimsuit, with a topknot ponytail and had a pair of sunglasses as an accessory. Barbara Millicent Roberts was available in either brunette or blonde versions.
Retailing at $3, the first few dolls replicated the glamour of 1950s Hollywood stars such as Elizabeth Taylor and Marilyn Monroe. The immediate success of Barbie was largely attributed to the fact that she was an adult-bodied woman, as opposed to most dolls of that time that were representations of infants.
Ken joins the party
Barbie’s on-and-off boyfriend Kenneth Sean “Ken” Carson was introduced in 1961, named…
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