Anne Hathaway missed out on her own Barbie movie — but couldn’t be happier about it.
The actor made headlines in 2017 after famously replacing Amy Schumer as the lead in an early iteration of the project that never materialised.
This eventually gave way to Greta Gerwig’s Barbie starring Margot Robbie, which has grossed over $1.44 billion worldwide.
Anne thanked her lucky stars for that on the Happy Sad Confused podcast on Monday.
“The thing that’s so exciting about what Margot and Greta … [did is] they hit a bullseye,” she said. “And the bullseye caused the entire world to reach this level of ecstasy. Now, imagine … it’s not the right version. I actually think of it as a lucky thing [I wasn’t cast].”
Greta previously directed Lady Bird (2017) and Little Women (2019) but certainly hit a cultural nerve with Barbie, which became the highest-grossing film ever directed by a woman. Anne praised Margot, who produced the film as well as starring in it, calling her “sublime.”
She said: “What she is doing as a creative person and a producer is so exciting and inspiring. The mythic giants they toppled with it that have kept certain narratives in place that have not allowed opportunities to develop for so many … they ran straight through it!”
Anne has come a long way since The Princess Diaries (2001) made her a star. She famously held her own opposite Meryl Streep in The Devil Wears Prada (2006) and most notably won an Oscar for her performance as Fantine in Les Misérables (2013).
The native New Yorker commended Greta and Margot on Monday for fighting the baseless gender stereotypes that have plagued Hollywood since time immemorial, however, by breaking records that confirm just how capable female filmmakers can be.
“It’s so easy just to be thrilled and happy [for them],” said Anne on the podcast.
“I love watching women kill it. To do so well, so undeniably that they actually had to write new records … come on! I think it will probably make things better.”
Barbie notably hit cinemas in July alongside Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer and reportedly grossed nearly twice as much on opening weekend. Its impact is still felt — as Barbie dominated Monday’s Golden Globe nominations in nine different categories.
“Just as a cinemagoer and as a woman in Hollywood since I was a kid, I’m thrilled by the development, said Anne. “I genuinely think their film was the best possible version.”
Watch Anne Hathaway’s full Happy Sad Confused interview on YouTube.
