Barbie grossed a whopping $1 billion in the global box office, making Greta Gerwig the only solo female director to achieve that feat.
Speaking at a Q&A as part of the London Film Festival, Gerwig talked about her next project, though crucially didn’t reveal any details about what that might actually be. She said, “I’m working on something right now. It’s hard and I’m having recurring nightmares.”
Speaking on the response her film has been receiving, she said, “It’s been incredible.” She also added that during the film’s opening weekend, she covertly travelled around cinemas in New York and instructed staff on how to best present her film.
“I went around theatres, stood in the back, and turned up the volume if I felt it wasn’t playing at the perfect level,” she said. “It was the most thrilling thing.”
Recalling how she was asked if I’m Just Ken dance was necessary, the Little Women director said, “There was a big meeting that was like, ‘Do you need this?’ And I was like, ‘Everything in me needs this.’ They were like, ‘What do you even mean? What is a dream ballet?’ And I was like, ‘A dream ballet? Where do I begin!’”
Barbie stars Margot Robbie as the titular character and Ryan Gosling as Ken and follows the pair on a journey of self-discovery following an existential crisis. It features a supporting cast that includes America Ferrera, Kate McKinnon, Issa Rae, Rhea Perlman, and Will Ferrell.
Gerwig is a co-writer on Disney’s upcoming Snow White, directed by Marc Webb and currently in post-production ahead of a release on March 24, 2024.