Warner Bros. announces that the 'Suicide Squad' actress will star in and produce the movie which is based on the popular Mattel toy.

• Jan 9, 2019

AceShowbiz - Warner Bros. is moving forward with its plan to bring Barbie to the big screen. The studio has closed a deal with Margot Robbie, who will star as the eponymous character whose real name is Barbara Millicent Roberts. The "Suicide Squad" actress is also set to co-produce the live-action movie under her LuckyChap Entertainment banner, alongside Tom Ackerley and Josey McNamara from LuckyChap Entertainment.

"This project is a great start to our partnership with Ynon and Mattel Films," Toby Emmerich, chairman of Warner Bros. Pictures Group, says in a statement. "And Margot is the ideal producer and actress to bring Barbie to life on screen in a fresh and relevant way for today's audiences."

Robbie adds, "Playing with Barbie promotes confidence, curiosity and communication throughout a child's journey to self-discovery. Over the brand's almost 60 years, Barbie has empowered kids to imagine themselves in aspirational roles from a princess to president. I'm so honored to take on this role and produce a film that I believe will have a tremendously positive impact on children and audiences worldwide. I can't imagine better partners than Warner Bros and Mattel to bring this film to the big screen."

Ynon Kreiz, chairman and CEO of Mattel, also comments on the project, "Barbie is one of the most iconic franchises in the world and we are excited to partner with Warner Bros. Pictures and Margot Robbie to bring her to life on the big screen. We look forward to building on this collaboration with Warner Bros. Pictures as we tell the stories of our beloved brands. Mattel Films is on a path to demonstrate the enormous potential of our brand portfolio, as we continue to execute on our strategy of transforming Mattel into an IP-driven, high performing toy company."

"Barbie" was originally being developed at Sony, with Amy Schumer being tapped to star. The "Trainwreck" actress dropped out of the project in 2016 due to a scheduling conflict. Anne Hathaway was later rumored to take the lead role, but it was never confirmed.

Back in October 2018, there was a report that Robbie would team up with "Wonder Woman" helmer Patty Jenkins for the movie. However, no director is currently attached to "Barbie", which script comes from Hilary Winston with Amy Schumer and her sister Kim Caramele having done a rewrite.

The story reportedly follows a character who gets kicked out of the perfect Barbieland because she doesn't quite fit the mold. After she's exiled, she sets a journey to the real world and eventually discovers that being unique is an asset.

The movie eyes a 2020 release date.