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New 'Barbie' animated movie in development after live-action success
'Barbie' returns as an animated film backed by Mattel Studios and Illumination
Margot Robbie’s live-action Barbie took the world by storm in 2023, and the love for Mattel’s iconic doll hasn’t slowed down since and continues to shine bright.
As reported by Deadline and confirmed by People, Mattel Studios and Illumination, best known for the Minions franchise, are teaming up to produce Barbie’s first-ever animated film for a theatrical release.
The plot of the new movie has not been shared yet and there have been no updates on the dates of production or release mentioned as well, but the movie is expected to be released by Universal Pictures, which has an exclusive financing and distribution partnership with Illumination.
Since 2001, Matte;’s beloved Barbie has starred in 52 animated movies and streaming TV films, with the 2025's Barbie and Teresa: Recipe for Friendship being the new most recent one, carrying on the animated film’s long legacy.
The live-action Barbie movie, directed by Greta Gerwig, became a cultural phenomenon with over $1.3 billion globally in ticket sales and turned out to be Warner Bros.' highest-earning theatrical release of all time.
The fan favourite movie also made groundbreaking history by becoming the highest-grossing film directed by a woman, landing eight Academy Award nominations including Best Picture.
