Amy Schumer has pulled out of playing Barbie in the upcoming live-action film due to 'scheduling conflicts'.
It was announced in December that the comedian would star in the film and would also contribute to the script along with her sister, Kim Caramele.
The actress told Variety magazine, 'Sadly, I'm no longer able to commit to Barbie due to scheduling conflicts. The film has so much promise, and Sony and Mattel have been great partners. I'm bummed, but look forward to seeing Barbie on the big screen.'
A Sony spokesperson said in a statement: 'We respect and support Amy's decision. We look forward to bringing Barbie to the world and sharing updates on casting and film-makers soon.'
Schumer received a barrage of abuse from people who found it surprising that she was cast to play the iconic Barbie doll with the 'perfect physique'. She took to Instagram to highlight how concerning it is that women should be expected to achieve unrealistic body standards.
'My deepest sympathy goes out to the trolls who are in more pain than we will ever understand,' Schumer wrote on Instagram. 'I want to thank them for making it so evident that I am a great choice.'
'It's the kind of response that lets you know something's wrong with our culture and we all need to work together to change it.'
The film is now set to be released in June 2018.
On 3rd December we wrote...
Amy Schumer is in talks to play an ‘imperfect’ Barbie in an upcoming film based on the world’s most famous doll.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the new film will try to present a more inclusive Barbie world, addressing issues like feminism, identity and beauty.
The comedian, who earned a Golden Globe nomination for her lead role in last year’s Trainwreck, will play the lead character who comes to realise that she doesn’t fit in to the ‘perfect’ land of Barbies. After being expelled from this world, she has an adventure in the real world where – spoiler alert – she learns that ‘perfection comes on the inside, not the outside, and that the key to happiness is belief in oneself,’ according to Deadline.
It’s thought that Amy will re-write the existing script with her sister, Kim Caramele, and while Sony are yet to announce a director, the film is slated to arrive in cinemas in summer 2018. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the studio has looked to classic family comedies like Splash and Amy Adams’ live action fairytale Enchanted for inspiration.
While the star – best known for her no-holds-barred takes on sex, drinking and body image – is perhaps an unusual choice to play Mattel’s best-selling doll, but given the company’s drive to make Barbie a more inclusive doll (Mattel recently unveiled Barbies with a more representative range of body shapes and skin tones, Schumer could provide the body positivity – and sense of humour – needed to bring Barbs fully into the twenty-first century.
Our next question is, of course, who is going to be cast as Ken?
READ MORE: Amy Schumer Has A Strong Message For Non-Feminists