Anne Hathaway missed out on her own “Barbie” movie — but couldn’t be happier about it.
The actor made headlines in 2017 after famously replacing Amy Schumer as the lead in an early iteration of the project that never materialized. This gave way to Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie” (2023) starring Margot Robbie, which has grossed over $1.44 billion worldwide.
Hathaway thanked her lucky stars for that on the “Happy Sad Confused” podcast Monday.
“The thing that’s so exciting about what Margot and Greta … [did is] they hit a bullseye,” she said. “And the bullseye caused the entire world to reach this level of ecstasy. Now, imagine … it’s not the right version. I actually think of it as a lucky thing [I wasn’t cast].”
Gerwig previously directed “Lady Bird” (2017) and “Little Women” (2019) but certainly hit a cultural nerve with “Barbie,” which became the highest-grossing film ever directed by a woman. Hathaway praised Robbie, who produced the film, as “sublime.”
She said, “What she is doing as a creative person and a producer is so exciting and inspiring. The mythic giants they toppled with it that have kept certain narratives in place that have not allowed opportunities to develop for so many … they ran straight through it!”
Hathaway has come a long way since “The Princess Diaries” (2001) made her a star. She famously held her own opposite Meryl Streep in “The Devil Wears Prada” (2006) and most notably won an Oscar for her performance in “Les Misérables” (2013).
The native New Yorker commended Gerwig and Robbie on Monday for fighting the baseless gender stereotypes that have plagued Hollywood since time immemorial, however, by breaking records that confirm just how capable female filmmakers can be.
“It’s so easy just to be thrilled and happy [for them],” said Hathaway on the podcast. “I love watching women kill it. To do so well, so undeniably that they actually had to write new records … come on! I think it will probably make things better.”
The film notably hit theaters in July alongside Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer” and reportedly grossed nearly twice as much on opening weekend. Its impact is still felt — as “Barbie” dominated Monday’s Golden Globe nominations in nine different categories.
“Just as a cinemagoer and as a woman in Hollywood since I was a kid, I’m thrilled by the development, said Hathaway. “I genuinely think their film was the best possible version.”