Weird Barbie must have been a mix of David Bowie and a hairless cat

This is how Greta Gerwig presented this key character in her blockbuster to Margot Robbie and Kate McKinnon.

While it still does well at the box office, barbie is already available on VOD in the United States, and this digital release (at $29.99 for purchase and $24.99 for rental) comes with some bonuses. A handful of making-of videos, including one titled “It’s a Weird World”, of which Entertainment Weekly had the exclusivity of a first extract.

This video (visible in original version on the American site) is dedicated to “Weird Barbie“played by Kate McKinnon. A key character in the film, since it is she who makes Margot Robbie’s Barbie make the decision that will change her mind: leave Barbie Land to discover the real world.

“Greta described Weird Barbie to us in the script as David Bowie meeting a hairless cat, laughs the actress and producer. This description is strangely accurate.”

The Bizarre Barbie from the movie is now available for sale

As explained in the film, the Weird Barbie is not a doll that you buy as is (well now, it’s possible, since Mattel has put its official version of the film on sale). Greta Gerwig explains in the video that it is by playing with it, and subjecting it to all sorts of manipulations, that little girls transform their toys into bizarre Barbies.

“You brush his hair and suddenly you want to cut it, explains the director. Or maybe you want to see what it would do if you set it on fire. Or if you drew on his forehead. You undress her to try on new clothes. I had the following idea: ‘We need a Barbie who represents what happens to so many dolls.’ I wanted her to be funny and alert at the same time.”

This character is indeed aware of his special status in the world of Barbie Land. She knows she is apart, and so are her friends. For example, she can’t help but do the splits, because the little girl who grew up with her kept putting her in that position. Which offers McKinnon the opportunity to play one of the most interesting characters in the film, who bridges the world of toys and that of humans and allows for meta reflection on both.

The other making-ofs of barbie unveiled in the United States are devoted to Barbie Land, the making of the heroine, her wardrobe and her music (a behind-the-scenes video of“I’m Just Ken” is visible below). They will undoubtedly be revealed in France within its DVDs and blu-rays? Release planned with us from November 22.

Barbie: behind the scenes of “I’m just Ken” with Ryan Gosling (video)