‘Barbie’ Movie Set Construction Led to Global Shortage of Paint Color
The upcoming Barbie film was a huge undertaking for the cast and crew for more reasons than one.
A production designer who worked on the film just revealed how much paint–especially one color–went into constructing the sets and how it caused a global shortage.
One of the most iconic parts of Barbie is her Dreamhouse, a bright pink fluorescent building with a pool and shining furniture.
In a new Architectural Digest feature, production designer Sarah Greenwood said the bright pink shade of Rosco paint they used faced a shortage.
She said, "The world ran out of pink."
As for why the movie sets had to include such intense colors, director Greta Gerwig said, "Maintaining the ‘kid-ness’ was paramount. I wanted the pinks to be very bright and everything to be almost too much.”
She added that she didn't want to “forget what made me love Barbie when I was a little girl.”
Explaining part of the draw of the Barbie Dreamhouse and why it seemed so glamorous for kids, Gerwig noted, “Why walk downstairs when you can slide into your pool? Why trudge upstairs when you take an elevator that matches your dress?”
The highly-anticipated movie comes out on July 21 in theaters, starring Margot Robbie as the title character, while Ryan Gosling stars opposite her as Ken.
Other familiar faces in the film include Nicola Coughlan, Kate McKinnon, John Cena, Simu Liu, Will Ferrell, and even Helen Mirren. Gerwig previously helmed the critically-acclaimed films Lady Bird (2017) and Little Women (2019).