Amy Schumer has revealed the real reason why she left the Barbie movie – and it’s not what they told us at the time. While playing Plead the Fifth on “Watch What Happens Live,” the comedian admitted that she didn’t drop out due to scheduling conflicts, but creative differences.
“I think it was scheduling conflicts,” Schumer said. “That’s what we said. But, yeah, it really was creative differences. But you know what? There’s a new team behind it, and it looks like it’s very feminist and cool.”
When host Andy Cohen pressed her, asking if the project didn’t feel “feminist and cool” when she was involved in it, Schumer confirmed that was the case.
Development for a Barbie movie started in 2009, and Schumer boarded in 2016. Her version of the movie would use Hillary Winston’s screenplay that Schumer and her sister, Kim Caramele, would rewrite. A year later, Schumer dropped out, telling Variety, “Sadly, I’m no longer able to commit to Barbie due to scheduling conflicts… The film has so much promise, and Sony and Mattel have been great partners. I’m bummed, but look forward to seeing Barbie on the big screen.”
Schumer has since changed her tune on this Barbie girl in a Barbie world. “I can’t wait to see the movie. I think it looks awesome,” Schumer said on “Watch What Happens Live.”
Amy Schumer isn’t the only star that’s been tapped by the blonde’s plastic hand over the course of “Barbie’s” long development history. After Schumer turned down the role, Anne Hathaway was in consideration for it with Olivia Milch to rewrite the screenplay and Alethea Jones as a potential director. However, Sony let the option on the project expire in 2018, which is how Warner Bros. Pictures came to take over the project.
In its current iteration, the upcoming fantasy comedy was written by Greta Gerwig and her partner Noah Baumbach and was directed by Gerwig. The film, which is set to release July 21, stars Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling. Kate McKinnon, Issa Rae, Dua Lipa, America Ferrera and Will Ferrell also star in the movie. After Barbie (Robbie) is expelled from Barbieland for being a less-than-perfect doll, she has to travel to the real world.
