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‘Barbie’ Movie: Iconic Doll Has ‘Existential Crisis’ About Real World 

Margot Robbie attends the European premiere of "Barbie" in London, Britain July 12, 2023. (Reuters)
Margot Robbie attends the European premiere of "Barbie" in London, Britain July 12, 2023. (Reuters)
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‘Barbie’ Movie: Iconic Doll Has ‘Existential Crisis’ About Real World 

Margot Robbie attends the European premiere of "Barbie" in London, Britain July 12, 2023. (Reuters)
Margot Robbie attends the European premiere of "Barbie" in London, Britain July 12, 2023. (Reuters)

Margot Robbie recalls being at a rehearsal for the upcoming "Barbie" movie and experiencing an existential crisis.

Fortunately, lines from co-star America Ferrera's character were exactly what she needed to hear while both portraying the iconic doll and being a producer of a $145 million movie.

"She was like 'I release you from your assignment,'" Robbie said in an interview.

"I can't tell you how much weight lifted off my shoulders weirdly when she said that," Robbie added. "So I was like, ‘I've got to make this movie and it's the biggest movie I've ever produced, and I've got to answer to two humongous corporations and a director I really respect and actors.""

"Barbie" plunges into the pink world of the globally famous Mattel doll, spearheaded by Warner Bros and directed by Greta Gerwig, an Academy Award nominee for her direction of "Lady Bird" in 2017.

Similar to Robbie's existential crisis, the "Barbie" movie follows the doll who suddenly has an existential crisis in the middle of a dance number. That leads to a sequence of events that take her out of her perfect pink plastic world, forcing her into the real human world.

"Barbie" debuts on Friday and is expected to rake in more than $100 million in US theaters in its first weekend.

Even though the Barbie doll first debuted in 1959, it has taken more than 60 years for the character to get to the big screen.

Robbie, however, feels the film's message is an essential one for today's audience.

"I think we're putting a lot of expectations on ourselves to be everything and do everything and be perfect, like, this pursuit of perfection, which is impossible anyway," Robbie said.

Rather than seeking perfection, her hope is for the movie to be a gift for "anyone" that allows them to let go of their worries and "just enjoy."

For Canadian actor Ryan Gosling, who portrays the doll Ken, the film has something for everyone to appreciate.

"This movie is like an amusement park. It's like, there's a different ride for everyone, so everybody can have their own experience, and that's the beauty of it. It's kind of for everyone," he told Reuters during the "Barbie" world premiere in Los Angeles.

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Oscar Voters Required to View All Films Before Casting Ballots 

Oscar statuettes appear backstage at the Oscars in Los Angeles on Feb. 26, 2017. (AP)
Oscar statuettes appear backstage at the Oscars in Los Angeles on Feb. 26, 2017. (AP)
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Oscar Voters Required to View All Films Before Casting Ballots 

Oscar statuettes appear backstage at the Oscars in Los Angeles on Feb. 26, 2017. (AP)
Oscar statuettes appear backstage at the Oscars in Los Angeles on Feb. 26, 2017. (AP)

Oscar voters will be required to demonstrate that they have watched all the films in each category before they cast their final ballots, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced Monday.

The new rule, which addresses a longstanding concern that voters are skipping some films, will apply for the next Oscars ceremony in March 2026, the Academy said in a statement.

The Academy previously operated under an honor system that voters would see every Oscar-nominated film before casting their ballots.

However, with the number of nominees growing in recent years, some voters have admitted not fully fulfilling that duty.

Under the new system, Academy members will be tracked on the organization's voters-only streaming platform to make sure they have watched each film.

For movies seen elsewhere, such as in cinemas or at festival screenings, voters will be required to "fill out a form" vouching for when and where it was watched, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

For the Best Picture category alone, which has 10 nominated films, competing studios traditionally host glitzy events to woo voters during their awards campaigns, with parties, screenings and festival showings, sometimes followed by Q&A sessions with the stars and filmmakers.

The Academy also weighed in on a controversy that arose during the last voting season, which was marred by questions about the use of artificial intelligence in movies, such as "The Brutalist" and "Emilia Perez."

In guidance issued Monday, the Academy said AI and other digital tools will "neither help nor harm the chances of achieving a nomination."

The new rule clarifies that the use of technology is not disqualifying.

"The Academy and each branch will judge the achievement, taking into account the degree to which a human was at the heart of the creative authorship when choosing which movie to award."