Comedian Amy Schumer recently took to Instagram to share her thoughts on two films she really enjoyed, Barbie and Oppenheimer. However, she humorously expressed her disappointment that she wasn’t cast as Emily Blunt’s character, Kitty, in Christopher Nolan’s film.
Accompanying a picture of herself with a stern look, wearing sunglasses and a straw hat, Schumer playfully wrote, “Do better Hollywood.” Her comments come after she stepped down from the Barbie film due to creative differences with the studio.
Initially, Schumer cited scheduling conflicts as the reason for not being able to shoot the movie. However, in a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, she revealed, “They definitely didn’t want to do it the way I wanted to do it, the only way I was interested in doing it.” Schumer had envisioned her Barbie as an ambitious inventor, but Sony insisted on her character inventing the Jelly-O shot heel, which didn’t align with her vision.
Schumer knew it was a bad fit when the studio sent her a pair of Manolo Blahniks to celebrate landing the role. She felt the gesture perpetuated the stereotype that all women desire expensive designer shoes. In hindsight, Schumer acknowledged that she should have turned down the role then and there, realizing it wasn’t the right fit for her.
After Schumer declined the role, Anne Hathaway was in negotiations to play Barbie before Margot Robbie and her production company, Lucky Chap, obtained the rights to the film. Robbie and her team then convinced Warner Bros. Pictures to back the project and enlisted director Greta Gerwig to co-write the script with partner Noah Baumbach.
Despite the creative differences and passing on the role, Schumer expressed excitement to see the finished film. She mentioned in a previous interview that the new team behind Barbie has given it a feminist and cool vibe, making her eager to watch it.
Barbie proved to be a major success at the box office, breaking several records on its opening weekend. It grossed over $155 million in the US, making it the biggest domestic opening of 2023. Additionally, it had the largest debut for a female-directed film on its opening day, surpassing the 2017 hit Wonder Woman.
In conclusion, while Amy Schumer may have missed out on the opportunity to play Barbie, she remains supportive of the film’s success and appreciates the new direction it has taken. As a talented comedian and actress, Schumer’s candidness about her experiences in the entertainment industry serves as a reminder that sticking to one’s creative vision is crucial in a world of diverse opportunities and possibilities.
