‘Barbie’ – A Pink Revolution
Imagine a universe dyed from top to bottom in a vivid shade of fluorescent pink. This is precisely the enchanting spectacle that Warner Bros’ upcoming Barbie movie has achieved, consuming an entire company’s worldwide supply of pink paint in the process!
The paint was sourced from Rosco, a company known for its close ties with Hollywood’s film and TV industries. They’ve experienced various industry trends, but a run on pink paint was indeed a new shade of demand! In a recent interview with The Times, Lauren Proud, the Vice President of Global Marketing at Rosco, said, ‘They used as much paint as we had.’ She referred specifically to their stock of fluorescent pink paint, the exact type used in creating the whimsical Barbieland sets for the movie.
The Great Pink Drought
So, why did this pink pandemonium transpire? Was Barbie too voracious for her signature color? Not exactly. According to Lauren Proud, they were already experiencing a paint shortage due to the recent pandemic and the unforeseen Texas freeze in early 2021. But Barbie’s demand for pink still managed to create quite a commotion!
Earlier this week, Sarah Greenwood, the film’s production designer and six-time Oscar nominee, told Architectural Digest about the staggering quantity of pink used for the set. She dramatically claimed that the movie had caused a worldwide shortage. “The world ran out of pink,” she stated.
Maintaining the ‘Kid-ness’
But why use so much pink? Greta Gerwig, the director of the Barbie film, said it was all about preserving the ‘kid-ness’ of the movie. The aim was to keep things bright and vibrant, almost bordering on excessive, but just enough to evoke the joy we found in our beloved Barbie dolls as children. “I wanted the pinks to be very bright and everything to be almost too much,” Gerwig explained.
The Barbie film sets were constructed in Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden in the UK. Greenwood certainly didn’t skimp on the pink, as evident in the film’s first trailer. Everything in the Barbie movie is drenched in pink, from dollhouse-like mansions and cars to roads. Even the dance floors are pink!
Did you know? Barbie’s original name is Barbara Millicent Roberts, named after Barbara Handler, the daughter of the founders of Mattel, and her son, Ken, after whom the iconic Ken doll is named.
Barbie’s Star-Studded Adventure
Even more thrilling than the pink paint crisis is the film itself! Margot Robbie’s Barbie and Ryan Gosling’s Ken set off on an adventure out of Barbieland and into ‘the real world’. Accompanied by a star-studded cast that’s more packed than Barbie’s pink closet, this movie promises a world so pink that it will leave you tickled pink. Don’t miss out on this bright and vibrant cinematic experience!
In this extraordinary journey, the world may run out of pink paint, but we’ll never run out of fascinating stories like this. Stay tuned for more captivating narratives and don’t forget to leave a comment with your thoughts on the pink paint shortage!