Barbie teaser: Margot Robbie is no 'baby doll' in Greta Gerwig film

The teaser of Greta Gerwig's Barbie, released on Friday, introduces Margot Robbie as the popular and iconic American doll. It is now playing in theatres ahead of Avatar: The Way Of Water and is also available online. Writer and director Greta takes us into a whole new universe of dolls. There are said to be many Barbies and Kens, though Margot and actor Ryan Gosling are reportedly the main versions of their characters.

The trailer opens with the voice of Helen Mirren stating, "Since the beginning of time, since the first little girl ever existed, there have been... dolls. But the dolls were always and forever baby dolls. Until..." The music from Stanley Kubrick's 2001 A Space Odyssey soundtrack ushers in the entrance of the giant doll, Barbie, who is definitely not a baby. Dressed in a black-and-white striped swimsuit and black high heels, this new doll is sexy. Margot gives the camera a slow wink as she lowers her white sunglasses.

The little girls are awestruck around her and throw their own baby dolls away, some even smashing theirs to pieces. The sequence is a play from the cult sci-fi film, setting the tone for the satirical feature film. The world of Barbie is also very colourful and very pink. Margot can be seen surveying the different 'dollhouses' in Barbie land, all of which are pink or purple in their colour schemes.

We also get a glimpse of actors Ryan, Ncuti Gatwa, and Simu Liu. Ryan, with bleach blond hair, is wearing a black fringed vest with Ncuti dressed up in sportswear as they spend time with other male dolls. Simu is dressed in all black while dancing, while Issa Rae is spotted in a pink jumpsuit.

Co-written by Greta and Noah Baumbach, Barbie also stars Will Ferrell, Emma Mackey, and America Ferrara as part of its ensemble cast. The film, produced by Warner Bros. Pictures, will release on 21 July 2023 alongside Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer. Several animated versions of Barbie have released on video and television before. This will be the first live-action adaptation of the character.