Starting out as an actress, Greta Gerwig has since transitioned into one of the acclaimed filmmakers in Hollywood. Lady Bird, Little Women, and most recently, Barbie are among some of her best works, which have not only done great at the box office but have also been critically successful. However, there is always a certain section that doesn’t seem content with her work. Something similar happened after the release of her 2023 film Barbie.
Starring Margot Robbie in the title role, the movie made over $1.4 billion at the box office. However, the association with the toy company Mattel led many to call the filmmaker a sell-out. The director responded to such harsh criticism during an interview as she shared her perspective on her craft.
Greta Gerwig Accused of Being a Sell-Out
Following the release of Greta Gerwig’s 2023 film Barbie, the filmmaker was seemingly accused of being a sell-out, a term used to define a product that is made for the paycheck rather than based on the maker’s passion for their craft.
The fact the 2023 film was based on a Mattel doll led many critics to believe the same about the Margot Robbie starrer as well. Gerwig, who has had a diverse film career, started out with indie films before taking on filmmaking.
A 2023 article from The Guardian states the same, questioning, “Has Barbie killed the indie director?” The report points out how the filmmaker has seen a transition from micro-budget “mumblecore” films to the mainstream with movies like Greenberg, which “was made for a budget of $25 [million].”
While it was received positively, Greenberg did not do that well at the box office. It further states how the Little Women director is now making a movie “with a budget of $145m” with a mega-corporation like Mattel. It also mentions some of the other filmmakers who have also taken the same approach. Gerwig responded to such claims later in an interview with Fortune.
Greta Gerwig Responded to the Sell-Out Accusation
During an interview with Fortune, Greta Gerwig was asked if she had read the report on the indie directors “selling out.” While she stated that she had not read the piece, Gerwig acknowledged that they may have made some valid points. She said,
“I’m sure they make good points, probably. There’s always some tension, obviously, between art that exists in the world to be seen and consumed. I joked at the beginning that I’m not Emily Dickinson, but I really am not Emily Dickinson.”
She explained that she desires her work to be accessible to a broad audience, saying, “I’m making art to be seen by people.” She further recalled featuring in the play The Merry Wives of Windsor, saying that it “was created because the fans liked the character of [Sir John] Falstaff.”
Stating that she is not comparing herself to Shakespeare, she acknowledged the dynamic between art creation and audience management. “We all live in this mess. Except for Emily Dickinson. But she’s the only one,” she told the outlet.
Barbie is now available to rent or buy on Prime Video.
