Amy Schumermay be bringing the most iconic toy doll to life. Indeed,THRreports that the comedian/writer/actress is in talks to lead Sony’s long-in-the-worksBarbiemovie, which is described as “a contemporary spin on beauty, feminism, and identity.” The Mattel toy is iconic no doubt, and Sony Pictures has been trying to years to find a way to bring the property to the big screen in a way that makes sense. Oscar-winningJunoscribeDiablo Codywas one of the first writers on the project, then last year Sony tried a “triple track" approach by hiring three scribes to pen three separate screenplays. The studio and producersWalter Parkes,Laurie MacDonald, andAmy Pascalultimately landed onHilary Winston’s idea and script to move forward with, but if Schumer signs on to star, it’s expected that she’ll also perform a rewrite on the script with her sister,Kim Caramele.
Schumer’s star has been on the rise the past few years after first breaking out as a stand-up comedian. Her Comedy Central seriesInside Amy Schumerexploded before and after the release of theJudd Apatow-helmedTrainwreck, which Schumer wrote and starred in. She’s subsequently been mighty in demand, but instead of signing on to copious projects, she’s been fairly picky. Schumer co-wrote a mother-daughter comedy for Fox that she recently finished filming oppositeGoldie HawnwithJonathan Levine(The Night Before) directing, and co-wrote a comedy she plans to star in oppositeJennifer Lawrencewhen their schedules align. Recently, Schumer’s been back on the stand-up circuit.
The search for a director for theBarbiemovie is underway, and no doubt Schumer’s involvement makes this an in-demand project. The story of the movie as it currently stands begins “in a perfect land of Barbies where one woman slowly awakens to the fact that she doesn’t fit in. She is expelled from the idealistic land and journeys to the real world, where she discovers that being unique is an asset.” That’s actually a pretty smart way to turnBarbieinto a thoughtful and entertaining feature film, and Schumer’s willingness to tackle issues of self-image and sexism onInside Amy Schumerand within her stand-up bodes well for her involvement.
Sony is aiming for “an imaginative family comedy with plenty of heart,” likening the film toSplashandBig, so expect Schumer’s more R-rated sensibilities to remain under wraps should she sign on.
This is certainly a project that could come to fruition as a shameless cash-grab, but the logline here and Schumer’s involvement actually have me incredibly eager to see this come to the big screen.
