Greta Gerwig secretly attended Barbie screenings, would adjust the volume

It’s hard to believe that we’re already into the second week of October and the Summer of Barbie is over. Has anything claimed Fall yet? I know we’re in the NFL Era, but surely, that’s not the cultural phenomenon of Fall 2023. Ah, it’s still early! Perhaps this will be the Fall of Barbie Halloween Costumes, lol. Anyway, over the weekend, Barbie director Greta Gerwig appeared at the BFI London Film Festival for a special interview with “Succession” creator Jesse Armstrong. She described the film’s set as the “most joyful” set she’s ever been on (if she does say so herself!) and hoped that the set’s fun atmosphere translated on screen for audiences. Greta also shared that she snuck into NYC screenings of the movie during opening weekend to see viewers’ reactions first hand.

Gerwig also admitted that despite loving the process of making the film, she still experienced huge amounts of self-doubt over her creative choices, citing the “I’m Just Ken” dance scene where the numerous Kens are fighting on the beach. “That sequence, in particular, was just filled with choices that thrilled me and made me so happy, but then I’d be driving home at the end of the day and thinking…’Oh no!’”

Despite Gerwig’s nervousness, Barbie went on to break numerous records, amassing more than $1.4 billion, making it the highest-grossing film of 2023, Warner Bros.’ highest-grossing film of all time and the highest-grossing film by a solo female director.

“It’s like this incredible sense of ‘the song that it’s in my heart is in other people’s hearts,’” she said of the reaction to the film. “It’s been incredibly moving.”

During Barbie‘s opening weekend, Gerwig said she was in New York, but she didn’t wait to hear about the reaction to the film from other people, so she went to get answers for herself.

“I went around to different theaters and sort of stood in the back, and would then also turn up the volume if I felt it wasn’t playing at the perfect level,” she claimed. At one such screening, she heard one woman howl with laughter over the joke about the Proust Barbie, one of the numerous specific one-liners she inserted in the film. “And I was like: ‘That joke was for you!’”

Gerwig said she was currently working on another project, without giving many details away. “I’m in the writing process,” she admitted, “and it’s hard because I’m having recurring nightmares.”

[From The Hollywood Reporter]

I find this to be so endearing! I think we’ve all created something that we love so much that we’re anxious to share it with others, hoping they enjoy it as much as we do. How could we NOT love “I’m Just Ken?!” It’s a classic! Honestly, I’d probably also attend screenings around town just to covertly watch people’s reactions, especially if the early ones were positive, haha. As for turning up the volume, does she mean that she actually went into the control room and adjusted the movie’s sound level? Wouldn’t that break her cover?!

And, in full transparency, I made that lame joke about it being the Season of Barbie Halloween costumes because Mr. Rosie and I just decided that we are going to be Dojo Mojo Casa House Ken and Weird Barbie this year. We didn’t want to do the Roller Skating Barbie and Ken outfits because we were actually Ken and Barbie from Toy Story 3 last year because our younger son was Buzz Lightyear. Halloween is my favorite.

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Photos credit: PA Images/INSTARimages, Darla Khazei/INSTARimages, Backgrid and Getty

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