Greta Gerwig’s 2023 movie Barbie starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling in the lead roles is full of pop culture references and Easter eggs. One such reference was also based on Stanley Kubrick’s 1968 adventure drama 2001: A Space Odyssey. The movie begins with an A Space Odyssey reference as the giant Mattel doll grabs the attention of the little girls playing with their baby dolls.
While the reference stands out prominently in the film, the president of global marketing at Warner Bros. shared that they were a bit concerned that the younger audience might not be able to fully grasp the reference, due to their lack of familiarity with the classic movie.
Barbie’s A Space Odyssey Reference Concerned the Studio Executives
Margot Robbie’s Barbie begins with a recreation of the ‘Dawn of Man‘ scene from Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey. Taking inspiration from the classic movie, Greta Gerwig replaced the monolith with the famous doll, Apes with little girls, and their bones with the baby dolls, which they end up banishing after seeing the Mattel doll.
The scene depicts the impact the fashion doll has had on girls and is also featured in the first teaser of the movie. Warner Bros.’ president of global marketing, Josh Goldstine, later shared that the reference and music from Stanley Kubrick’s 1968 movie did make a bold statement.
He shared during an interview with Variety, “It made a bold statement that this movie isn’t going to be exactly what you think it is.” However, it was also a matter of concern for the marketing team, as a reference to the 1968 movie could have been hard to understand for many in the audience.
“Yes, that was a concern. We wanted to challenge people,” he further said in the interview. However, they still decided to keep it in the movie to overcome people’s “preconceptions” and to create something “thought-provoking” that would lead to curiosity among their audience.
Barbie Had Several References to Stanley Kubrick Movies
While the reference to 2001: A Space Odyssey was quite noticeable, the movie’s director, Greta Gerwig, revealed that Barbie paid homage to the legendary filmmaker with other references as well. During her appearance on the ReelBlend podcast, she disclosed the references from the 1980 horror film The Shining and the 1964 film Dr. Strangelove.
After Robbie’s character meets Gloria in the real world and realizes that they are feeling the same things, Gloria’s daughter asks her mother if they are “shining” right now, referring to the psychic ability from the 1980 film The Shining.
Gerwig confirmed the reference on the ReelBlend podcast, saying, “The Shining, yes. They’re Shining with each other.” The filmmaker also revealed that the Mattel boardroom was also a reference to the war room from Kubrick’s Dr. Strangelove.
Barbie will be available for digital purchase and rental from September 12, 2023.
Source: Variety
