Greta Gerwig Brings Barbie Back for a Limited-Time Encore
Greta Gerwig’s smash-hit Barbie is jumping off the screen and into London with Barbie in BarbieLand, a limited-run immersive pop-up from Warner Bros. and Mattel, created with Secret Cinema and TodayTix—the team behind Grease: The Immersive Movie Musical.
Barbie is not done with us yet. Next summer, London is getting a walk-in BarbieLand for a very short run, and yes, it is exactly what it sounds like: a full-blown, pink-soaked, dancefloor-ready pop-up built off Greta Gerwig's movie.
What this thing actually is
The event is called 'Barbie in BarbieLand' and it is a limited immersive experience from Warner Bros. and Mattel, produced with Secret Cinema and TodayTix. If Secret Cinema rings a bell, they were behind 'Grease: The Immersive Movie Musical', so expect a theatrical vibe blended with movie nostalgia rather than a passive museum walk-through.
'We're beyond excited to bring Greta Gerwig's brilliant Barbie The Movie, inspired by Mattel's Barbie brand, to life in a way that only Secret Cinema can,' said Secret Cinema and TodayTix executive Merritt Baer. 'In collaboration with Mattel and Warner Bros., we're inviting audiences to step through the iconic pink doors of BarbieLand - to sing, dance, and celebrate together. It's part-immersive experience, part-West End theatre and without a doubt, the best night out you'll have all year.'
The plan and the timeline
It is slated to launch next summer in London for an eight-week run. It will feature live theatrical performances and immersive, built-out versions of the film's BarbieLand locations. There will also be a BarbieLand Carnival, dancefloors, and themed food and drinks. The creative team will be announced later, with the producers teasing recognizable names from the West End, Broadway, and the music world.
- Run: 8 weeks next summer in London
- Format: Part immersive sets, part live theatre
- Extras: BarbieLand Carnival, dancefloors, themed food and drinks
- Tickets: Pre-sale sign-up is open now; general ticket sales hit in December
- Producers: Warner Bros. and Mattel with Secret Cinema and TodayTix
Quick refresher on the movie side
Gerwig directed the 2023 live-action film and co-wrote it with Noah Baumbach. Margot Robbie led the cast and produced, joined by Ryan Gosling, America Ferrera, and Kate McKinnon. The movie made over $1.4 billion worldwide, the highest-grossing film of 2023, and it sits at 88% Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes from 506 reviews.
Worth noting: Gerwig and Robbie aren't planning a sequel right now. Separate from that, Mattel Studios is developing an animated Barbie movie produced by Illumination, and it will not connect to the 2023 film. That one would be the first Barbie animated movie to actually debut in theaters, which is a fun twist for a brand that has lived on home-entertainment animation forever.