Diablo Cody, the renowned screenwriter behind movies like Juno and Jennifer’s Body, recently discussed her scrapped Barbie movie script in an interview with GQ magazine. Cody revealed that the film, which would have starred Amy Schumer, “shit the bed” because executives wanted an “anti-Barbie” narrative.
Cody explained that when she was hired for the project, the culture hadn’t yet embraced the feminine or the bimbo as valid feminist archetypes. Trying to take the traditionally skinny blonde white doll and turn her into a heroine was seen as a tall order. Cody pointed out that today, if you look up Barbie on TikTok, you’ll find a subculture that celebrates the feminine. However, in 2014, it was a different story.
The pressure to deliver the “dramatic equivalent of ‘math is hard'” was another obstacle Cody faced. Her affectionate and idiosyncratic take on Barbie would have been paired with Schumer, whose confessional stand-up gave her counterculture credibility. The idea of an anti-Barbie made sense given the feminist rhetoric of ten years ago, but Cody couldn’t figure out how to make it work because that’s not what Barbie is. Barbie is not a girl-boss feminist icon, and trying to twist her into one didn’t feel true to the character.
In addition to Schumer dropping out in 2017, Cody also faced the challenge of The Lego Movie’s release. The film opened the door to a specific kind of meta satire-meets-brand extension, and Hollywood wanted to replicate its success. Cody heard endless references to The Lego Movie in development, which created a roadblock for her. Anytime she came up with something meta, it felt too similar to what The Lego Movie had done.
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Despite the challenges, Cody was genuinely interested in telling the Barbie story. Growing up playing with Barbies, she saw them as the first movies she ever cast. However, she is also wary of notable directors entering the lane of intellectual property (IP) storytelling. Cody understands why they do it, as it brings financial stability, but she struggles to find a balance and modulate her specific voice and point of view within the IP framework.
Cody humorously expressed her frustration by saying, “I wish every day that I could write The Paw Patrol movie because credibility is not going to put my kids through college.” She has made several attempts at IP storytelling with Barbie and Powerpuff Girls but takes full responsibility for their failures. She believes that delving deeper into the lore and mythos of properties like Hungry Hungry Hippos is not really an artistic exercise.
In conclusion, Diablo Cody’s Barbie movie script with Amy Schumer in the lead ultimately didn’t come to fruition due to the pressure to create an anti-Barbie narrative, The Lego Movie’s success creating obstacles, and the difficulties of navigating the IP storytelling landscape. Cody remains open to future projects but acknowledges the challenges of merging her specific voice and point of view with established intellectual properties.
