Margot Robbie Gave Greta Gerwig One Condition To Star In The Barbie Movie

Movies Comedy Movies

"Barbie" was one of the most successful movies of 2023. Not only did it become the biggest movie ever at the global box office for Warner Bros. Pictures, but it earned eight Oscar nominations. We can thank director Greta Gerwig for bringing her incredible vision to the project and taking what could have been a soulless story designed to sell toys and turning the film into a heartfelt look at what it means to be a woman.

But of course, since "Barbie" is inspired by the toy that has a legacy spanning over 60 years, there was plenty of merchandise mythology to pull from when it came to creating the world of Mattel's platinum blonde doll and all her friends from across six decades. Whether it was Michael Cera's hilariously overlooked Allan or the Pregnant Barbie that threw everyone for a loop, the movie was packed with deep cuts from the long history of Barbie. While Gerwig herself brought plenty of Barbie's lore to the table, there was at least one element from Barbie's world that Margot Robbie ensured would be included in the film, and it's something that everyone can appreciate. 

Margot Robbie needed that Dream House slide

One of the best elements of "Barbie" is the film's production design that meticulously crafted the astonishing world of Mattel's iconic doll. That prominently pink plastic world is brought to life with the perfect amount of artificiality, and so much of Barbie's world simply takes the toys that existed on shelves and turns them into life-sized elements on the set of the movie. 

Perhaps the most impressive part of that was Barbie's iconic Dream House. While the design of Barbie's Dream House has changed over the years, one of the most beloved traits in her residency was a slide that went from her bedroom down to a pool outside the house. Ever since then, having such a feature has been a dream of kids (and adults) all over the world, whether they're a boy or a girl. If you don't believe me, just watch "Blank Check."

Thankfully, this was something that Margot Robbie was adamant about having in the movie, if only because it was one of her own childhood dreams. As she explained on "The Kelly Clarkson Show" in 2023, Robbie had the fold-out Barbie Dream House as a kid, so the bedroom-to-pool slide was a must-have for the film's production:

"It was like the first thing I said to Greta when we first sat down, talked about the movie. I'll follow your vision. Whatever you want this Barbie movie to be, let's do that. Except I just have one favor. Please, please, please, can we have a Dream House where she has a slide that goes from her bedroom down to her pool, because that is my goal in life."

Robbie got her wish, right down to the plastic water that fills the pool at the bottom of the slide. In fact, even though the water on the pool was fake, everyone set still walked around it as if it were a real pool filled with water. 

If you'd like a closer look at all the plastic beauty of Barbie Land, you should watch Architectural Digest's tour of the set right here: