Barbie's Most Unlikely Supporter? The MCU Director Who Says It Deserves an Oscar
The filmmaker would second a Best Picture nomination for Gerwig's film.
It's been nearly three months since the premiere of Barbie, yet the conversation around Greta Gerwig's comedy keeps going strong. With a star-studded cast including Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, Helen Mirren, America Ferrera, and Will Ferrell, the film addresses social issues such as patriarchy, personal legacy, and corporate greed in a light and entertaining manner. That may be why it resonates so well with audiences. As a result, Barbie has grossed an impressive $1.435 billion at the box office, making it this year's highest-grossing film.
However, many viewers doubt whether Greta Gerwig's latest project will receive the Best Picture Academy Award at the upcoming Oscars. They argue that this year has seen more noteworthy releases, including Oppenheimer, Poor Things, and Killers of the Flower Moon (the latter two are yet to be released theatrically). More importantly, at its heart, Barbie is essentially an elaborate advertisement for Mattel's namesake doll.
Nonetheless, there is at least one industry professional who genuinely supports Gerwig's comedy for the coveted award.
Scott Derrickson Is Fond of Gerwig's Barbie
Scott Derrickson may not be as well-known as Christopher Nolan, but many Marvel fans love him for his adaptation of Doctor Strange's story into the character's standalone MCU film. Derrickson wrote and directed Doctor Strange (2016) and served as an executive producer on Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022).
In a recent interview on The Discourse Podcast, the filmmaker revealed that Barbie is one of the two films he enjoyed most this year – the other being When Evil Lurks.
'Barbie is a good example of populist I.P. that was treated with true brilliance. That's an extraordinary movie on every level. I think it should probably win Best Picture. The writing is so clever and so smart and subversive, the acting is amazing, and it's so entertaining, it's artful in its visuals, the style of it, it's just an awesome film,' Derrickson stated in support of Gerwig's comedy.
With the Oscars 2024 taking place in six months, it's too early to predict which films will receive nominations for the industry's most esteemed award. Moreover, some of the contenders haven't even been released yet. However, Barbie stands a solid chance of winning awards in multiple categories.
Source: The Playlist.