A Sense of Doubt blog post #3133 - I Love The "Woke" Barbie Movie and I love It Even More if YOU Don't Like Its "Wokeness"
Here's how things happen in the SENSE OF DOUBT blog central office.
I had a post scheduled today on the presentation I gave last week, but I had not worked on it much to prepare it. I prepared and gave the presentation, but the blog post needed work. Same thing with tomorrow's post, too.
Just more of the lame culture wars the extreme and radical GOP wants to gin up to distract people from other much more heinous BS and because they are all deeply, paralyzingly afraid of the way the country and its people are changing. In 20 years, white people (and white men especially) will be in the minority.
I love the way calls for boycotts and all the hateful rhetoric aimed at the Barbie movie as much as I actually love the movie, especially as the more the radical righters cry FOUL and have their freaky fear meltdowns, the more box office records and total sales and viewing records the movie breaks and sets anew.
Deal with it, people.
Barbie is best viewed as a critique of feminism and modern progressive attitudes towards gender roles. It’s an enjoyable watch for anyone: ultra-feminists will like the literal interpretation of the film that tells the viewer that the feminist utopia is good; and those more critical of feminism will enjoy how the film shows the viewer that utopia isn’t actually all that great.
Is all I have to say.
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/07/business/barbie-movie-mattel-windfall.html
Mattel’s Windfall From ‘Barbie’
The company’s approach has paid off to a degree that even the C.E.O. could hardly have believed possible.
When Ynon Kreiz arrived at Mattel in April 2018, the newly installed chief executive had one mantra when it came to a feature film starring Barbie, a project he really wanted to get off the ground: He didn’t care if the movie sold a single additional doll.
But “Barbie” the film had to be good and a cultural event. It had to be different. It had to break molds.
And if that meant turning the chief executive of Mattel — i.e., himself — into the object of comic ridicule in the portrayal of the chief executive character in the film (“vain and foolish to the nth degree,” as The Guardian put it), then so be it.
That approach has paid off to a degree that even Mr. Kreiz could hardly have believed possible. “Barbie” is close to grossing $1.4 billion and passed one of the “Harry Potter” movies as the top-grossing Warner Bros. film of all time. It could end up near the $2 billion mark. (The record-holder is 2009’s “Avatar,” at $2.9 billion.)
How Mattel pulled off a feat that had eluded the company for years was the subject of recent interviews with Mr. Kreiz; Robbie Brenner, Mattel’s executive producer of films; spokespeople for Margot Robbie and Greta Gerwig, the film’s star and its writer-director; and others familiar with the doll’s sometimes tortuous path to the big screen.
Mattel and Warner have jealously guarded their financial arrangements. But people with knowledge of their agreement said Mattel earned 5 percent of the box office revenue, as well as a percentage of eventual profits as a producer of the movie and additional payments as owner of the Barbie intellectual property rights. At $2 billion in box office revenue, that amounts to $100 million. In addition, there are sales of merchandise connected to the movie as well as an expected boost in sales of dolls.
Representatives for Mattel and Warner declined to comment on the financial arrangements, though the company’s chief financial officer said at a conference on Thursday that the company would make about $125 million in total billings from the film.
Even though Barbie results weren’t reflected in Mattel’s latest earnings, released July 26, all anyone wanted to talk about at the earnings call was “Barbie.” Mr. Kreiz hailed the film as a “milestone moment” in the company’s strategy to “capture the value of its I.P.” and demonstrate its ability to attract and team up with top creative talent — a cornerstone of its ambitious slate of more toy-themed movies.
After the first “Barbie”
trailer — showing a hyper-blond, Day-Glo-clad Ms. Robbie and Ryan Gosling
skating along Venice Beach — went viral in December, anticipation started
building. Mattel stock has been on a tear. It has gained 33 percent, from $16.24
on Dec. 19 to this week’s $21.55. The S&P 500 rose 16 percent over the same
period.
Wall Street has been
reluctant to give much credit to one hit, on the theory that such success is
hard to replicate. (“Barbie” has had no discernible impact on Warner Bros.
Discovery’s stock price.)
But for Mattel, the positive
impact of “Barbie” goes far beyond just one film. The company’s yearslong strategy to become a major film producer,
using its vast storehouse of toys as intellectual property, had been met in
Hollywood with skepticism, if not outright mockery. A-list talent wasn’t lining
up to direct a plush purple dinosaur like Barney. But now the perception that
Mattel’s leadership is willing to trust and support an unorthodox creative team
that delivered both a box office bonanza and a possible awards contender has
radically altered that.
And Mattel’s surprising
willingness to make fun of itself was one of the elements that mostly delighted
critics and added to the buzz that roped in many more moviegoers than the
“Barbie” fan base.
That Mr. Kreiz was willing to
laugh at his own caricature came as something of a surprise to some
acquaintances and former colleagues. An Israeli military veteran with dual
Israeli and British citizenship, a former professional wind surfer, an avid
kite surfer and a fitness buff, with more than a passing resemblance to a
younger Arnold Schwarzenegger, the 58-year-old Mr. Kreiz comes across as more
of a square-jawed G.I. Joe action hero than a Barbie fan with a sense of humor.
Mr. Kreiz’s entire career was in media and entertainment, not retail. His longtime mentor, the Power Rangers entrepreneur and billionaire Haim Saban, hired him fresh out of the University of California, Los Angeles, to launch Fox Kids Europe, a joint venture with Fox. He later ran Maker Studios, a YouTube aggregator, which Disney acquired in 2014. Mr. Kreiz left in 2016, and Maker was folded into the Disney Digital Network in 2017.
That “Barbie” even got made
was no small feat. It had languished at Sony for years, with Mattel routinely
renewing the option, as various writers struggled to adapt the doll for the big
screen. Although one of the most popular toys ever, Barbie was the subject of
intense controversy, seen both as a symbol of female empowerment and as an
impossible standard of beauty and femininity. The only feasible approach seemed
a parody. The comedian Amy Schumer was once slated for the part. But scripts
came and went.
Weeks after becoming chief
executive in 2018, Mr. Kreiz refused to renew the Sony option, according to
multiple people interviewed for this article. He called Ms. Robbie’s agent and
asked for a meeting. Ms. Robbie was among the most sought-after young actresses
in Hollywood, fresh from acclaimed performances in diverse roles — as the
ill-fated ice skater Tonya Harding in “I, Tonya”; in Martin Scorsese’s “The
Wolf of Wall Street”; and as a fixture in Warner’s DC Comics universe as Harley
Quinn, the Joker’s former girlfriend. And while no human could replicate
Barbie’s exaggerated dimensions, Ms. Robbie came reasonably close, while also
radiating wholesome beauty.
Ms. Robbie was simultaneously
reaching out to Mattel and Mr. Kreiz after learning that the “Barbie” option
hadn’t been renewed. She was looking for a potential franchise to take to
Warner, where her production company, LuckyChap, had a first-look deal. But she
wasn’t looking to star in the film herself.
Over breakfast at the Polo Lounge at the Beverly Hills Hotel, the plush entertainment and celebrity hangout not far from Mattel’s less glamorous El Segundo headquarters, Mr. Kreiz shared his vision: He didn’t want to make movies in order just to sell toys. He wanted something fresh, unconventional, bold.
“Our vision for Barbie was
someone with a strong voice, a clear message, with cultural resonance that
would make a societal impact,” he said, recalling his message.
Mr. Kreiz’s obvious
enthusiasm and determination, and his pitch for creative integrity make him
hard to resist, as Ms. Brenner, a producer, discovered when he recruited her to
run the newly created Mattel film division during another meal at the Polo
Lounge. Ms. Brenner, a respected producer and an Academy Award nominee for
“Dallas Buyers Club,” was attracted to his idea for the movie. In Mr. Kreiz’s
vision, Mattel would be as much a movie company as a toy company. The two
bonded after he asked her who should play Barbie, and she, too, volunteered Ms.
Robbie.
At their first meeting, Ms.
Robbie suggested Ms. Gerwig for the director. The two were friends and had
talked about working together. Mr. Kreiz loved the idea in part because it was
so unexpected — Ms. Gerwig had directed and written acclaimed but offbeat
independent films like “Frances Ha,” “Lady Bird” and a new take on the classic
“Little Women,” but no big-budget fare.
“Lady Bird” was one of Ms.
Brenner’s favorite movies. But would Ms. Gerwig consider such a mass-market,
commercial proposal?
Ms. Gerwig, it turned out, had played with Barbie dolls and loved them. She even had old photos of herself playing with Barbie. Ms. Brenner met with Ms. Gerwig and her partner, Noah Baumbach, also an acclaimed screenwriter and director, at an editing facility in New York. They kicked around a few ideas, but nothing concrete emerged. Anything seemed possible.
A deal was struck, and Warner
signed on as co-producer. Once Ms. Gerwig was on board, Ms. Robbie agreed to
star.
At which point Ms. Gerwig and
Mr. Baumbach retreated. “I know it’s not conventional and not what you’re used
to, but we have to go into a room for a few months. That’s how we work and want
to do it,” as Ms. Gerwig put it, Mr. Kreiz recalled.
When the script did
land in Ms. Brenner’s email, it was 147 pages — the length of a Quentin
Tarantino film, epic by Hollywood standards. She closed her office door and
started reading. “It was like going on this crazy ride,” she recalled. It broke
rules, including the so-called fourth wall, addressing the audience directly.
It poked fun at Mattel.
New to the company,
Ms. Brenner didn’t know if this would prove too much for Mattel executives. But
she believed it was a great script.
Ms. Brenner’s first
call was to Mr. Kreiz. “I’ve read a lot of scripts, and this is so different,”
she told him. “It’s special. You don’t get this feeling many times in an entire
career.”
Mr. Kreiz read the
script twice, back to back. “It was deep, provoking, unconventional and
imaginative,” he said. “It was everything I was hoping it would be.”
Ms. Brenner was
pleasantly surprised. “Ynon is a very confident person,” she said. “He can
laugh at himself.”
At one point Mr.
Kreiz flew to London, where “Barbie” sets were being built at Warner’s studio
outside the city. He and Ms. Gerwig spent a half-hour discussing the perfect
shade of pink.
Mr. Kreiz and Ms.
Brenner knew they had a potential hit. “It was our secret that we couldn’t talk
about,” Ms. Brenner recalled.
The original budget
target of $80 million jumped above $120 million once Ms. Gerwig was signed. But
even that wouldn’t realize the director’s full vision for the film. For Warner
executives it was a struggle to find what are known as “comps,” similar films
that had grossed enough to justify such an outlay.
Would “Barbie” be
another “Charlie’s Angels” from 2019 — which was budgeted at $55 million but
grossed only $73 million and, after marketing costs, lost money? Or another
“Wonder Woman” from 2017, budgeted at over $100 million, with a worldwide gross
of $822 million?
Eventually the
budget hit $141 million and, with some reshoots, ultimately topped $150
million.
On opening night,
July 21, Mr. Kreiz took his 19-year-old daughter to the Regal cinema complex at
Union Square in Manhattan. As they neared the theater, droves of moviegoers —
and not just young girls — were heading to it in pink outfits. Five screenings
were in progress. All were sold out.
Mr. Kreiz and his
daughter dropped in and out to gauge audience reactions. People laughed,
applauded and in a few cases shed tears.
Of course the
success of “Barbie” has drastically raised the bar — and expectations — for
Mattel’s movies in development, starting with “Masters of the Universe,”
written and directed by the brothers Adam and Aaron Nee. Twelve more films are
in various stages of development, including a “Hot Wheels” produced by J.J.
Abrams, also at Warner. Some of these may need to be rethought.
And there will no
doubt be “Barbie” sequels, perhaps even a James Bond-like franchise, which
would be Mr. Kreiz’s ultimate fantasy (although he said it was too soon to
discuss any such plans).
Mr. Kreiz
acknowledged that in a notoriously fickle and unpredictable business, future
success is hardly assured. But “Barbie” has given Mattel momentum — the
beginning of what he calls “a multiyear franchise management strategy.”
Audio produced
by Tally Abecassis.
A
correction was made on
Sept. 7,
2023
:
An earlier version of this article misidentified one of the
people who discussed shades of pink in London. It was Greta Gerwig and Ynon
Kreiz, not Robbie Brenner and Mr. Kreiz. The article also misidentified one of
the people who discussed that the film “Barbie” was a potential hit. It was Ms.
Brenner and Mr. Kreiz, not Margot Robbie and Mr. Kreiz.
When we learn of a mistake, we acknowledge it
with a correction. If you spot an error, please let us know at nytnews@nytimes.com.Learn more
James B. Stewart is a columnist at The Times and the author of nine books,
most recently “Deep State: Trump, the FBI and the Rule of Law.” He won the 1988
Pulitzer Prize for explanatory journalism, and is a professor of business
journalism at Columbia University. More
about James B. Stewart
A version of this article appears in print
on Sept. 8, 2023,
Section A, Page 1 of the New York edition with the
headline: For Mattel, Success of ‘Barbie’ Goes Far Beyond the Big Screen.
The Magical World of Barbie
Greta Gerwig’s ‘Barbie’ Movie
The toymaker Mattel wanted a blockbuster to kick off its new wave of brand-extension movies. The director Greta Gerwig wanted “Barbie” to be a work of art.
To create their visually dazzling sets, the movie’s production team embraced the surreal, going big on bright pinks and shrunken proportions.
The most majestic dance in “Barbie” is an emotional release for the Kens, but in subtle ways movement touches, and enhances, everything in the movie.
Denounced in some Middle Eastern countries for undermining traditional gender norms, “Barbie” is finding an audience in Saudi Arabia, illustrating the region’s shifting political landscape.
More on Barbie
Barbie’s Dreamhouse: Over the decades, Barbie’s official residence has kept up with the trends. Take a stop-motion journey inside the iconic home.
Visual Dictionary: Her hair, her feet, her portfolio of properties. These are all the things that make Barbie Barbie.
A Hot-Pink Moment: Barbiecore, a palette made up primarily of hot pink, fuchsia and magenta, is surging its way into home décor.
Best Looks: Carol Spencer, who designed Barbie’s outfits from 1963 to 1999, may be the most influential fashion designer you’ve never heard of.
A New Ken: In 2017, Mattel unveiled a new look for Barbie’s boyfriend. Our fashion critic discussed the doll’s revamp.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
- Bloggery committed by chris tower - 2309.16 - 10:10
- Days ago = 2997 days ago
- New note - On 1807.06, I ceased daily transmission of my Hey Mom feature after three years of daily conversations. I plan to continue Hey Mom posts at least twice per week but will continue to post the days since ("Days Ago") count on my blog each day. The blog entry numbering in the title has changed to reflect total Sense of Doubt posts since I began the blog on 0705.04, which include Hey Mom posts, Daily Bowie posts, and Sense of Doubt posts. Hey Mom posts will still be numbered sequentially. New Hey Mom posts will use the same format as all the other Hey Mom posts; all other posts will feature this format seen here.
No comments:
Post a Comment