One of the trickiest parts of making a movie nowadays is no doubt the casting process. In a political climate that advocates progress and representation, a director has to be really careful of who they choose to put in the movie. Barbie star Simu Liu implies that Greta Gerwig is one such director who has taken upon that task and executed it effortlessly.
It’s easy to mess up your casting choices, and it could be very consequential if you mess up. House of the Dragon showrunner Ryan Condal, who chose to make the Velaryons black, would definitely know after criticism from all the lore-crazy fans. But Greta Gerwig has found a proper way to include everyone, and Simu Liu is in full support.
Why Simu Liu Thinks Barbie’s Casting Is On Point
After decades of watching computer-animated graphics that brought the Barbie characters to life in numerous specials and movies, Barbie fans will finally be getting the first live-action movie based on the fashion doll franchise.
Having already directed two brilliant coming-of-age movies, Lady Bird and Little Women, Greta Gerwig will be the director for the movie as she takes one step further on her venture into the genre of romantic comedies with her latest project due for release in July this year.
The Oscar-nominated director has also taken quite the liberty in selecting her cast for the movie. Those already in place are well-known movie stars, with Ryan Gosling and Margot Robbie in the lead roles of Barbie and Ken.
But the real highlight is how diverse Gerwig’s cast is. Simu Liu, who plays an alternate Ken in the movie has highlighted this aspect of Barbie‘s cast, and he’s all for it. Sitting down with Vanity Fair, the Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings star said-
“I remember very clearly about some of our big intricate dance sequences. Greta was very, very conscientious about who she cast.”
“We were able to cast people of different shapes, sizes, differently abled, to all participate in this dance—all under this message of: You don’t have to be blonde, white, or X, Y, Z in order to embody what it means to be a Barbie or a Ken…It’s really about finding your inner beauty and owning that part of yourself and being the best possible version of you.”
Seems like the movie might feature some themes of beauty and finding yourself. The fact that Simu Liu is going to be the first Asian Ken doll is also going to make the whole movie worthwhile.
Simu Liu Also Really Loves Barbie’s Script
Coming all the way from starring in the CBC sitcom Kim’s Convenience, to working on a major Marvel Cinematic Universe movie like Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, must have been quite the jump for Simu Liu.
And now he gets to star in the first-ever live-action Barbie movie, and even better, he gets to play Ken! He’s one of the truest supporters of Greta Gerwig’s vision it seems, after all, he’s in love with the script of the movie.
Speaking on the WTF with Marc Maron podcast, the 33-year-old movie star said-
“It’s one of the best scripts I’ve ever read. I think it’ll surprise a lot of people because I think a lot of people get cynical when they see Mattel or Barbie. The first thought I had after reading the script was how the hell did they get Mattel to sign off on this, because this is not the kind of movie that corporate overlords sign off on.”
Easy there, Liu, a bit too early to say all that! Nevertheless, if he can vouch for it, fans should too.
Barbie is scheduled for a theatrical release on July 21, 2023.
Source: MovieWeb
