With 2022 almost over, it’s time we start looking ahead and figuring out what 2023 movie releases we’ll be seeing. Among the most-anticipated of these cinematic offerings is Barbie, with our first look at Margot Robbie as the title character dropping in April, followed by Ryan Gosling as Ken and then those leaked set photos taking the internet by storm. Well, Simu Liu, who’s also starring in Barbie, has now shared a Barbie screening room photo, and it’d be an understatement to say that people are envious of him.
Now to be clear up front, Simu Liu didn’t clarify what sort of Barbie-related material he was watching. But it didn’t matter, because the people who commented under the below tweet were hyped up enough by the picture of the Barbie logo on that giant screen accompanied by a winking text emoji as the caption.
If your money was on Simu Liu having seen the Barbie teaser trailer and he decided to do a little teasing of his own afterwards, you’d be correct, because Warner Bros. Pictures announced on Twitter that said trailer will premiere to the public tomorrow. There’s still seven months to go until Barbie comes out, so now’s about the right time to drop such a preview, especially with so many people heading to see Avatar: The Way of Water this weekend. Sharing the first batch of Barbie footage makes delightful early Christmas present for a lot of folks keen to see how the first live-action film adaptation of the popular doll line turned out.
While the specific plot is still being kept under wraps, there are a number of things we do know about Barbie. For one thing, it’s being directed by Greta Gerwig, who co-wrote the script with her partner Noah Baumbach. Simu Liu described Gerwig’s Barbie script as “the best” he’s ever read, and Will Ferrell called it “the ultimate example of high art and low art.” Conversely, Issa Rae admitted that she found the Barbie script “confusing” at first, but ultimately enjoyed filming the movie.
Speaking of the actors, while Ryan Gosling is playing the main version of Ken, Simu Liu and Doctor Who’s Ncuti Gatwa will appear as different versions of the character, while Issa Rae and Hari Nee will appear as alternate Barbies alongside Margot Robbie’s. Will Ferrell is reportedly playing the CEO of Mattel. Other Barbie cast members include Kate McKinnon, America Ferrera, Alexandra Shipp, Emma Mackey, Kingsley Ben-Adir, Michael Cera and Rhea Perlman, among others.
Barbie opens in theaters on July 21, 2023, the same day Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer drops. Keep visiting CinemaBlend for more Barbie-related updates, including our thoughts on the trailer when it arrives.