Actor Hari Nef pulls out of the Malibu dream home and lands a role in the feature film adaptation of Barbie.
Directed by Greta Gerwig and starring Margot Robbie as the iconic doll, Nef joins a roster of supporting players including Ryan Gosling, Kate McKinnon, America Ferrera, Simu Liu and Will Ferrell.
Nef is a breakthrough out-trans performer who started out as a fashion darling and later went on to have roles in Assassination Nation, Transparent, and the streaming adaptation of Caroline Kepnes’ novels You.
Her role is under wraps in the Warner Bros. feature written by Gerwig and her partner Noah Baumbach. Mattel and Robbie’s LuckyChap Entertainment are producers. Nef is represented by Gersh, Untitled Entertainment, IMG Models and Shelter PR.
In a 2021 interview with British Vogue, Robbie said taking on Barbie “comes with a lot of baggage… and a lot of nostalgic connections. But with that comes a lot of exciting ways to attack it. People generally hear “Barbie” and think, “I know what this movie is going to be,” and then they hear that Greta Gerwig is writing and directing it, and they’re like, “Oh, well, maybe I know not .'”
Production began earlier this year in London, with a projected release in 2023. “Barbie” is one of many Mattel properties on the feature customization burner. Projects based on Magic 8 Ball, Hot Wheels, Master of the Universe, Polly Pocket, Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots, and throwback dolls Chatty Kathy and Besty Wetsy are all in production or development.
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