When the Barbie doll was invented in 1959, it became a quintessential toy for children all around the world. And while Barbie’s (full name Barbara Millicent Roberts) male counterpart, Ken (full name Ken Carson), wasn’t invented and released until a few years later in 1962, the duo quickly rose to be some of the most iconic toys in history.

With the rise in popularity of Barbie and Ken, as well as the many other Barbie friends and family that were released over the years, there has been no shortage of representation of them in the media. From the countless animated shows and movies to the famous Barbie and Ken roles in the Toy Story movies, these dolls have maintained their relevance throughout the years. Now, however, the world is getting the first live-action Barbie movie courtesy of writer and director Greta Gerwig (Ladybird). Coming in at less than two minutes and with no plot revealed just yet, the teaser trailer for Barbie leaves much to the viewers’ imaginations.

A Drab and Serious Start

Margot Robbie Barbie
Warner Bros. Pictures

The trailer opens with the camera panning a landscape during sunrise while Helen Mirren provides the narration. She regales the audience with a brief history of how dolls, though they were always baby dolls, have existed since the first little girl has existed while the camera continues to focus on different parts of the rocky and desolate landscape. A song most likely recognizable from 2001: A Space Odyssey ominously plays as the little girls are seen sitting around unhappily playing with their baby dolls. The music intensifies when a figure appears silhouetted by the sun. Curiously, the girls wander over to the giant figure and start poking at her legs. We then finally see the full view of the previously shadowed figure.

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Who better to play the first live-action Barbie than Margot Robbie? They made her look head to toe identical to the first ever Barbie. From the curled bangs and ponytail combination to the black and white striped bathing suit all the way to the white-tipped toenails peeking through black high heel shoes. Barbie lowers her sunglasses to wink and that cues the little girls breaking and throwing their baby dolls in favor of the new toy as the title of the movie flashes on the screen in the iconic pink Barbie font.

The Rest is a Total Vibe Shift

Barbie Trailer Image
Warner Bros. Pictures

The next few seconds of the trailer come with a much more upbeat musical score and a more vivid color scheme. The opening scene for the last part of the trailer opens with Barbie in yet another iconic outfit and hair combination looking out and waving to what appears to be an entire valley of Barbie houses and businesses. Done almost exclusively in shades of pink, we can see a few different styles of Barbie houses all of which have a different Barbie resident also out enjoying the views.

For anyone who ever played with these dolls or had the houses, it is easy to see the care and attention that was given to creating the aesthetic with the plastic-looking furniture, the vehicles seen in the background, and even the trees. With one of the houses, there is even a purple tree house, so we can assume there will be some younger cast members representing the younger sister versions of Barbies. Far in the back, we can see a Ferris wheel, other buildings that look like restaurants, and even an airport complete with a pink airplane in the sky.

Notable Cast Members

Ryan Gosling as Ken in Barbie
Warner Bros. Pictures

The next few scenes fly by in a whirlwind of action and colors, but even with the quick scene changes, viewers are treated to some big-name stars. Barbie’s male counterpart, Ken, is played by none other than a blonde-haired blue-eyed Ryan Gosling. Though not credited with any character names just yet, we also see Kingsley Ben-Adir (Peaky Blinders), Ncuti Gatwa (Sex Education), Issa Rae (Awkward Black Girl), and Simu Liu (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings). All of these characters are shown in various states of celebration or dancing giving the feeling that this movie will be upbeat and plastic-action packed.

Related: Margot Robbie Reveals How She Approached the Role of Barbie

Many other notable actors are also listed as part of the cast without character names just yet. Saturday Night Live alums Will Ferrell and Kate McKinnon are both listed with the cast. Along with them, we have Rhea Perlman (Cheers), America Ferrera (Ugly Betty), Rita Arya (The Umbrella Academy), and Michael Cera (Arrested Development). This star-studded cast is sure to deliver some big laughs for both children and adults.

Even though this teaser trailer is very short, it is jam-packed with cheery music, famous actors, and more than enough pink to draw in fans of both the old classic and new Barbies. How fantastic can life in plastic really be? The world can find out on July 21, 2023.