When you think of the Barbie Universe, you probably imagine a land of sparkles, magic, and a revolving closet to die for. But could you imagine trading in the fantastic life wrapped in plastic and the iconic pink convertible for, say, a blood-splattered hearse? For Margot Robbie and director Greta Gerwig’s billion-dollar blockbuster hit, fans were cooking up theories faster than you can say “Life in the Dreamhouse,” and one of them comes straight out of a Stephen King-directed nightmare. According to the movie’s star, one of the wildest, most outlandish theories yet—is that the flick was going to actually be scary. And, honestly, to this horror fan, that’s worth a chuckle.
This fan theory is more Texas Chainsaw Massacre than Toy Story, with some fans telling other would-be audience members that Barbie is actually… a horror film. And we’re not talking about the existential dread and self-discovery already present in the picture. We mean gory, nightmarish, hide-under-your-pink-satin-sheets kind of horror. In a recent video interview with Elle, Robbie herself tackled this fan theory head-on, saying:
The weirdest fan theory I’ve heard about the movie so far is that it’s actually a horror film. And that’s what’s gonna take everyone by surprise. ‘Oh, you’re going to the Barbie movie? Psych. It’s scary and gory!’ Someone said that to me, and I was like, ‘It’s not, please don’t spread that rumor.’ I don’t want horror fans to be disappointed.
The idea of turning a seemingly innocent franchise like Barbie into a Saw-like bloodbath would be cheekily subversive. But even as Margot Robbie laughed the theory off, she made it clear that Mattel’s plastic queen would not be following the greatest horror villains and donning a Freddy Krueger-style glove any time soon. However, that would have been a rebellious sort of take that might have elevated the series up there with some of the top horror franchises. While filmmakers did almost make Ryan Gosling and Robbie look plastic, which would have been spine-chilling, if you were hoping to see the Blonde Bombshell face off against blood-thirsty villains or creepy specters you might have to stick to fan fiction or rewatch the best scary movies. You can see Margot laughing it up with co-star Kate McKinnon’s full interview below.
Barbie has smashed box office records, dethroning The Dark Knight with over $537.5 million in sales. Experts predict it may even outperform The Super Mario Bros. Movie, currently the biggest feature on the 2023 release schedule with $574 million in North America. Globally, the Mattel toy-based flickhas raked in $1.2 billion and could surpass Universal’s animated video game adaptation, which stands at $1.35 billion, if the strong turnout continues.
Barbie is still lighting up the box office, even without the scares. For showtimes, check local listings. If you’re a horror fan seeking chills, take a look at our list of upcoming horror films.