Main Barbie Characters and Cast
The Barbie movie features a large ensemble of Barbie characters, each with distinct roles, careers, and outfits. Margot Robbie plays the lead Stereotypical Barbie, while America Ferrera portrays President Barbie. The film, produced by Mattel Films and Warner Bros. Pictures, adapts the Barbie fashion doll brand into a live-action comedy. The project was directed by Greta Gerwig and written by Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach, with casting finalized in early 2022 and principal photography completed in 2022. For more on the production companies and box office performance, see the Forbes coverage of the Barbie film here.
Supporting Barbie roles include Issa Rae as President Barbie, Kate McKinnon as Weird Barbie, and Rhea Perlman as Divorcee Barbie. Alexandra Shipp plays President Barbie, and Hari Nef portrays Writer Barbie. The film also features Michael Cera as Ken, Ryan Gosling as Ken, and Ariana Greenblatt as Sasha, the human child protagonist. The movie premiered in Los Angeles on July 9, 2023, and was released in the United States on July 21, 2023, distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures.
Ken Characters and Supporting Roles
The Kens in the Barbie movie include Ryan Gosling as the central Ken, Simu Liu as President Ken, Kingsley Ben-Adir as Baseball Ken, and Ncuti Gatwa as Mermaid Ken. Other Kens are played by John Cena as Ken, Scott Evans as Ken, and several actors in smaller Ken roles. The film uses the Ken doll line from Mattel to explore themes of identity, patriarchy, and self-discovery, with each Ken tied to a specific hobby or profession.
Additional supporting characters include Ariana Greenblatt as Sasha, the daughter of Gloria, and Rhea Perlman as Gloria, the mother figure. The movie also features a range of non-human Barbies, such as Weird Barbie, and introduces multiple Kens with distinct personalities. The production design draws directly from Mattel's existing Ken and Barbie fashion doll collections, with costumes reflecting real-world careers and cultural archetypes.
Production and Release Details
Barbie is a 2023 American fantasy comedy film produced by Mattel Films and LuckyChap Entertainment, and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. The film is based on the Barbie fashion doll, first created by Ruth Handler and launched by Mattel in 1959. Production began in 2022, with filming at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden in the United Kingdom and on location in various California settings. The movie was rated PG-13 by the MPA and runs approximately 114 minutes.
The Barbie movie grossed over $1.4 billion worldwide, making it one of the highest-grossing films of 2023. It received multiple award nominations, including Academy Award and Golden Globe nods, and set box office records for female-directed films. The film's soundtrack, featuring hits like "Dance the Night" by Dua Lipa, further boosted its cultural reach. For the latest financial performance data, see the SEC filing summary of Warner Bros. Discovery here.