Did You Spot These Hidden Easter Eggs In The Barbie Movie?

By now, we’re operating under the assumption that you’ve seen Barbie The Movie.

And if you haven’t, what are you waiting for?!

Not only is it an adorable homage to the dolls we grew up playing with, but an exploration of feminist values and the importance of uplifting women. Plus, it’s full of some seriously cool hidden messages, from cultural references to secret dates!

We’ve put together a list of the most interesting Barbie Easter eggs that you might have missed. Warning – spoilers ahead!

2001: A Space Odyssey 

Barbie The Movie pays homage to 2001: A Space Odyssey, by mirroring the opening scene in a way that can only be described as hilarious and iconic. But it’s not just a tribute to the blockbuster film, it’s also a shoutout to an outfit worn by the first ever Barbie! When Mattel released the doll in 1959, she had a black and white bathing suit, white cat-eye sunnies, hoop earrings, red lips and a curly ponytail. Obsessed.

The Wizard of Oz

Greta Gerwig has mentioned that The Wizard of Oz influenced the film, and you can see little references to it peppered throughout the film! When Barbie drives through Barbieland, you can see that the 1939 film is playing in the cinema. There’s also a pink brick road separating the real world from Barbieland, just like the yellow brick road leading to Oz. The characters also must cycle through a field of flowers on their travels, which looks to have been inspired by the poppy field in The Wizard of Oz.

Bratz Dolls

When Barbie goes to meet Sasha at her school, she’s sitting with three other girls, and the group seem to mirror the original Bratz dolls; Yasmin, Chloe, Jade, and Sasha! The girls are also not the warmest, which may be a nod to their ‘brattiness’. As well as this, Sasha’s mom (played by America Ferrera) affectionately calls her BunnyBoo – Sasha the Bratz doll’s nickname. While it’s not confirmed, this does seem to be a very adorable tribute. Now we want to crack out our Bratz dolls as well as our Barbies!

 

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Ann Roth Cameo

When Barbie stops for a moment in the park, she tells the woman next to her, “you’re beautiful”, to which the woman laughs back, “I know it!”.

That woman is renowned American costume designer Ann Roth, who designed the outfits for a number of award winning films and broadway shows. Ann won oscars for her designs in The English Patient in 1966, and Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom in 2020. We love that she got a shout out here!

The Matrix 

When Barbie is offered either a pink stiletto or a brown Birkenstock by weird Barbie, it’s a subtle play on The Matrix, when Neo has the choice of taking the red or blue pill. Barbie can either choose the pink stiletto (the blue pill) and stay in the illusion of Barbieland, or she can choose the Birkenstock (the red pill) and discover the real world.

Secret Date

This one is super subtle, and you’d have to have been eagle eyed to spot it! A close look at Barbie’s meter in the car will show that it reads 030959 – aka the date Mattel released the first Barbie doll. How cute is that!

Ken’s Book

 

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When Barbie arrives in an overthrown Barbieland, now ‘Kendom’, Ken holds up a book about horses, showing off that he’s been reading. The book he produces is actually a real book gifted to Ryan Gosling by Margot Robbie on set. Aww.

Barbie Pegasus

While it seemed as though Barbie The Movie didn’t reference any of the original animated Barbie films, observant viewers spotted a pegasus statue on the beach in Barbieland, a little nod to Barbie And The Magic Of Pegasus. They didn’t miss a trick!

Singing In The Rain

The dancing scene with all of the Kens is inspired by the dream ballet scene in 1959 film Singing in the Rain, with similar costumes and colour palettes. Greta clearly loves an old classic!

Love Island’s Chris Taylor

 

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Last but not least, and on a totally random note, is a very quick cameo from Chris Taylor, the ex Love Island star. But how did Chris make it into the film of the summer?! It turns out that Margot Robbie is a huge fan of Love Island – she watches every season of the reality show! Margot allegedly met Chris at an after party for the 2020 Harley Quinn film, Birds of Prey, and recognised him straight away. Lucky Chris!

 

 

 

Tags:

• America Ferrera
• Barbie
• Barbie The Movie
• Easter eggs
• Emma Mackey
• Margot Robbie
• Mattel
• Movie secrets
• Ncuti Gatwa
• Ryan Gosling