Asian actors take on Barbie and Ken roles in first look at 'Barbie' movie
Warner Bros. Pictures offered a first look at the star-studded cast of “Barbie,” including stars Simu Liu and Ritu Arya, in Greta Gerwig’s Barbie world — and fans are thrilled about the Asian representation.
The photos and teaser trailer, which were released Tuesday, give a glimpse into an oversaturated and very pink Barbie Land, which features 11 different Barbies and five different Kens.
The photos for the film, which debuts July 21, include other well-known stars like Ryan Gosling as Ken, Margot Robbie as Barbie, Will Farrell as Mattel’s CEO and singer Dua Lipa as another Barbie.
The colorful portraits feature each character’s role in the film, most of which are individual roles as different Barbie and Ken characters.
Liu, seen in a green tank top, is “just another Ken,” according to his photo. Unlike the Ken dolls, which have little description, each Barbie is given an accomplishment. Arya, dressed in a signature Barbie pink dress holding a matching pink microphone, “has a Pulitzer Prize.”
There’s little detail on the comedy’s plot, but a press release for the film explained, “To live in Barbie Land is to be a perfect being in a perfect place. Unless you have a full-on existential crisis. Or you’re a Ken.”The teaser, which includes a heated argument between Liu and Gosling at the beach, gives a better look at Barbie Land and its perfect residents.
Users online were buzzing with excitement about the film’s representation after the photos were released.
The film's Barbies include Kate Mckinnon (“Saturday Night Live”), Issa Rae (“Insecure”), Emma Mackey (“Sex Education”), Nicola Coughlan (“Bridgerton”), Alexandra Shipp (“X-Men: Apocalypse), Hari Nef (“Assassination Nation”), Sharon Rooney (“My Mad Fat Diary”) and Ana Cruz Kayne (“Another Earth”).
Liu shares the role of Ken with Ryan Gosling, who is “just Ken,” as well as Ncuti Gatwa (“Sex Education”), Scott Evans (“One Life to Live”) and Kingsley Ben-Adir (“High Fidelity”).
Other characters in the film include Barbie’s pregnant friend and discontinued doll Midge (Emerald Fennell) and Midge’s husband, Allen (Michael Cera).
Liu was thrilled about breaking barriers with his role as Ken in the new film.
“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,'” Liu told Vanity Fair at the Unforgettable Gala last year. “It’s really about finding your inner beauty and owning that part of yourself and being the best possible version of you.”
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
