American toy manufacturer Mattel has partnered up with Sony Pictures and Parkes+MacDonald Imagenation to bring Barbie to the big screen.
The bestselling fashion doll will be the leading lady in a live-action comedy production, according to Deadline. Though a development deal hasn’t been made yet, the plan for the film is moving very quickly, with Jenny Bicks writing the script. Bicks is most notable for her screenwriting work for the features Rio 2 and What a Girl Wants, as well as for the Sex and the City series.
Men in Black producers Walter Parkes and Laurie MacDonald will produce the film based on Barbie’s many careers and fashion sense. The tale will allow the iconic doll to use “her personal and professional skills to step into the lives of others and improve them, almost like a modern day Mary Poppins.”
“We’ve always thought that the Barbie story had great potential, but a universe of possibilities opened up when Jenny, Walter and Laurie brought us their unexpected, clever, and truly funny concept,” said Hannah Minghella, Columbia Pictures’ president of production.
She continues illustrating how Barbie has evolved with each generation, while still remaining a classic. “We’re confident that Barbie will delight audiences, no matter where her adventures take her.”
Parkes and MacDonald added, “While it’s an overused word, Barbie truly is a legend, a cultural symbol whose career choices have been as unlimited as her wardrobe. She is about empowerment, but never at the expense of fun. Our hope is to capture all of these aspects of Barbie in a modern take of the character that can appeal to moviegoers of all ages.”
The comedic film will be the second partnership between Sony Pictures and Mattel, who are currently developing a film adaptation based on the popular action figure Master of the Universe.
The studio hopes to begin shooting Barbie’s live-action film by the end of the year.
