Amy Schumer says she left the Barbie film due to creative differences
“They definitely didn’t want to do it the way I wanted to do it," the Life & Beth star says
Nearly five years after stepping away from the project, Amy Schumer has opened up about why she left the upcoming Barbie feature. She cites not “scheduling conflicts” (which is what her initial statement said back in 2017), but vast creative differences with the overseeing studio at the time, Sony.
“[The studio] definitely didn’t want to do it the way I wanted to do it, the only way I was interested in doing it,” Schumer says in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter.
She then goes on to explain that, at the time, she and co-writer Kim Caramele wanted Barbie to be an “ambitious inventor,” and Sony reportedly asked if the invention Barbie created could be high heels made of Jell-O, because why not? Further cementing the idea that they truly understand every woman’s psyche, the company sent Schumer a pair of Manolo Blahniks once the deal was sealed.
“The idea that that’s just what every woman must want, right there, I should have gone, ‘You’ve got the wrong gal,’” Schumer says.
Once Schumer exited the project, Anne Hathaway was in talks to take over the role before the role of Barbie ultimately went to Margot Robbie. Writing duties have since been passed over to Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach, with Gerwig directing. In addition to Robbie, the film’s cast features Ryan Gosling as Ken, America Ferrera, and Simu Liu.
After leaving Barbie, Schumer shares that she felt her career was “getting a little stagnant” which spurred her to leave her longtime UTA representatives in 2018.
“I loved those guys, but I just didn’t feel support for, like, ‘This is who Amy is and she’s not going to be this other thing,’” she explains. “I felt like I was disappointing my team by not being Barbie.”
Schumer is now set to co-host the 94th Academy Awards alongside Wanda Sykes and Regina Hall from LA’s Dolby Theatre on March 27. She also stars alongside Michael Cera in the new Hulu rom-com series Life & Beth, which premieres on March 18.