Warner Bros wants to continue to invest in the world of theme parks. Enough to imagine a life-size Barbie world?
Since its release last July, barbie established itself as one of the biggest successes in Warner Bros. history. The film starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling exceeded the figures for the last part of the Harry Potter adventures, at the same time offering the doll a place in the pantheon of the most important licenses in the company’s catalog. If the idea of a sequel was quickly mentioned, but Greta Gerwig ruled out the hypothesis of a return to directing, Warner obviously does not intend to let the pink and plastic world of Mattel sleep.
“We are looking to do more things in this area”
barbie could also join the character imagined by JK Rowling in amusement parks. At least that’s what emerges from an article published by The Hollywood Reporter. During an investor conference, Gunnar Wiedenfels, the company’s chief financial and administrative officer, spoke about the future of Warner Bros. He notably mentioned the consequences of the pandemic on the company’s revenue. He also answered a question regarding the possibility of offering iconic licenses from the stable of tourist destinations, including barbie with its candy pink and plastic world.
“The short answer is yes. We just opened a Harry Potter: Making of Studio Tour in Tokyo and it’s been crazy since June! We have already achieved our attendance targets, those we had set for the end of the year. We have reached a point where you have to wait several months for tickets. It was a phenomenal launch. We are definitely looking to do more in this area.”
The idea is rather tempting, and it must be admitted that the aesthetic of the film lends itself perfectly to this kind of exercise. For the moment, nothing has been confirmed, however, these statements confirm the importance that Greta Gerwig’s film had for the studio. Moreover, the journey within the nicknamed “Mattel Cinematic Universe” should continue soon. Several films devoted to Polly Pocket, Hot Wheels or UNO are in development. Concerning Greta Gerwig, she will now begin developing a first film inspired by Chronicles of Narnia for Netflix. After Disney’s attempt, it is up to the Los Gatos platform to tackle the universe imagined by CS Lewis. For the moment, no release date has been announced, although the writers’ and actors’ strike should nevertheless delay the creative process.