Will Ferrell was tickled pink on Jul. 12 when he attended the London premiere of Greta Gerwig’s Barbie movie. Will, 55, wasn’t alone, as he brought the whole family to the event in Leicester Square. Will’s wife, actress and producer Viveca Paulin, joined him along with their three sons, Magnus, Mattias, and Axel Ferrell. Magnus, 19, stood proudly in his dark blue suit – a color palette shared by Axel, 13, and Viveca, 54, who both dressed in blue outfits. Mattias, 16, opted for a dark purple suit, more in line with what his father wore.
Ahead of Barbie opening worldwide, the scope of Will’s role in the film is…unclear. In the trailers, he portrays a CEO at Mattel, the toy company responsible for the eponymous doll. He seemingly understands how Barbie (Margot Robbie) shouldn’t be in the “real world” after she and Ken (Ryan Gosling) somehow find themselves out of their plastic paradise and in our realm.
The CEO role is based on Ynon Kreiz, the actual Mattel CEO who earmarked Margot Robbie to play the title character, per Insider. He joined Mattel from an entertainment background, having headed up Maker Studios (the content creation network acquired by Disney in 2014 and once home to YouTube channels like Epic Rap Battles of History, Wonder Quest, and more.) Before that, Kriez worked at Endemol Group, which owns reality TV shows like Big Brother and Deal or No Deal.
When asked about Will Ferrell being exaggerated and outlandish, Kriez was okay with that. He gave Gerwig freedom to poke fun at him and the Barbie brand, especially how it has fallen on hard times over the past few years. “We do enjoy self-deprecation, and we’re happy to play the game,” he told Bloomberg.
Dua Lipa, Alexandra Shipp, Ritu Arya, Nicola Coughlan, Emma Mackey, Hari Nef, and Sharon Rooney are also in the film, each playing a different Barbie. Simu Liu, Kingsley Ben-Adir, Scott Evans, and Scuti Gatwa are different Kens.
Will’s costar, Margot Robbie, continued her trend of dressing in outfits directly inspired by Barbie’s own wardrobe. For the London premiere, she wore a custom pink Vivienne Westwood gown with a rosette at her hip, right where a long, flowing train fell behind. The gown included an off-the-shoulder ruffled collar and opera gloves. The look came from the “Enchanted Evening” Barbie of the 1960s, a doll that is sought after on eBay and other secondary markets.
