Emma Mackey Says Greta Gerwig’s ‘Barbie’ Cast Had a Big Barbie Sleepover
Few films are as highly anticipated as Greta Gerwig’s upcoming Barbie. The flick already has a massive built-in fan base given its focus on one of the world’s most beloved toys. Now, Barbie actor Emma Mackey dicusses the cast kicked off the project: with a big Barbie sleepover, of course!
The cast of ‘Barbie’ kicked filming off in a very Barbie way
The doesn’t just feature one Barbie. Gerwig’s subversive project stars an exciting ensemble cast. “Right in the beginning, we had a sleepover for the Barbies,” Mackey told Empire Magazine. And, as with any good sleepover, there were games involved, namely table tennis. “I don’t play games usually,” Mackey confessed. “Because I get so competitive and angry. But Scott [Evans] and I were top of the game,” she added of one of her co-stars.
Speaking about her experience on the film so far, Mackey gushed about Barbie director, Gerwig. “She’s everything I could have dreamed of,” the actor shared. “She’s so invested and precise, and so childishly delighted by what she’s doing… Her mind is fizzing all the time.”
Greta Gerwig’s ‘Barbie’ will skate into theaters in July 2023
With impressive secrecy, any details about the upcoming Barbie are very (very) under wraps. However, there are likely few who don’t know about the incredibly star-studded cast at this point.
Margot Robbie stars in the primary title role opposite Ryan Gosling as her blond beau, Ken. Mackey is also joined by Will Ferrell, Kate McKinnon, The Umbrella Academy’s Rita Arya, Shang-Chi’s Simu Liu, Bridgerton’s Nicola Coughlan, Michael Cera, America Ferrera, and many more.
Barbie took over Venice Beach, CA for filming in June 2022. And the internet went wild with images of Robbie and Gosling decked out in a whole lot of pink. Then, People Magazine released a series of photos featuring various cast members (namely Robbie, Gosling, Ferrera, and Ferrell) zooming around on rollerblades.
Filming locations also include London, England, specifically Leavesden Studios. According to IMDb, the film is expected in July 2023 and is currently in post-production after filming wrapped last month.
Emma Mackey has more ‘Sex Education’ and other projects in the works
Mackey is best known for her breakout role as Maeve Wiley in Netflix’s Sex Education. Maeve is a teenager who joins up with her classmate, Otis, to launch a sex therapy clinic for their fellow students. Mackey returns for Season 4 of the series, which began filming in August 2022.
But Barbie isn’t her only venture onto the big screen. Mackey played Jacqueline de Bellefort in Death on the Nile with Gal Gadot. And Along with Barbie, Mackey has kept busy filming a biopic about Emily Brontë. The film, titled simply Emily, will see Mackey playing the youngest of the famed Brontë sisters and author of the classic novel Wuthering Heights. Directed and written by Frances O’Conner, the film arrives in October 2022.
In her interview with Empire, Mackey describes the stark contrast between her latest roles in Emily and Barbie. “Emily was a sad, dark drama,” Mackey shared. The star said it was a relief to switch to comedy after, describing Barbie as “light and funny and silly and American and pink.”
