Barbie: Big City, Big Dreams

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Barbie: Big City, Big Dreams
Barbie - Big City, Big Dreams.png
Promotional artwork
Genre
[1]
Based onBarbie's friends and family
by Mattel
Written by
  • Christopher Keenan
  • Catherine "Kate" Splaine
[2]
Directed byScott Plydell-Pearce[2]
Voices of
Composers
  • Alisson McDonald
  • Matthew Tishler
  • The Math Club
Country of originUnited States
Canada
Original languageEnglish
Production
Executive producers
  • Christopher Keenan
  • Adam Bonnet
  • Frederic Soulie
[2]
ProducerRonald "Ron" Myrick
Running time63 minutes[1][3]
Production companies
Release
Original networkNetflix
Picture format1080i HDTV
Audio formatStereo
First shown inUnited Kingdom and Ireland (Cinematic/Theatrical release)[4]
Original releaseAugust 20, 2021 (2021-08-20)
External links
(Archived) Website
Production website

Barbie: Big City, Big Dreams[5][6][7][8] is a 2021 computer-animated friendship adventure comedy children's streaming television film directed by Scott Pleydell-Pearce, produced by Ron Myrick and written by Christopher Keenan and Catherine "Kate" Splaine.[2]

First released in selected cinemas in the United Kingdom and Ireland on August 20, 2021[4][9] before making its debut in the United States on Netflix[3] on September 1,[1] it is the is the 39th and latest entry in the Barbie film series and the third to feature Barbie's family and/or friends based on Barbie Dreamhouse Adventures after and Barbie & Chelsea: The Lost Birthday.[6] The film is accompanied by its eponymous soundtrack which was released on July 1, 2021, on global digital music streaming platforms.[10][11][12][13][14]

On 1 February 2022, Mattel Television unveiled an initial 13-episode CGI-animated series based on and serving as a continuation of the film titled Barbie: It Takes Two which will stream on Netflix U.S. as well as release on unnamed broadcasters and streaming services between March and May, 2022.[15][16]

Official Description[]

This film plot follows Barbie swapping the sunny shores of Malibu for the bright lights of Broadway to attend an exclusive summer performing arts program and meets... another Barbie![17][18] They become fast friends and discover they share more than just a name as they explore New York City and all its good-feeling features. As they compete for a coveted once-in-a-lifetime Spotlight Solo from Times Square, the friends discover that competition isn't all about winning, it's about striving to be your best, bringing the best out of others, overcoming doubts and sharing the spotlight.[19]

Plot[]

Barbie Roberts dreams of being a Broadway star, so she enrolls in a summer program at a prestigious performing Handler Arts Academy in New York City. Her family and friends back home in Malibu wish her well as she arrives at the academy. As Barbie struggles with her luggage, she gets helped by a flexible female student who is from Brooklyn. The academy's custodian informs them that they have showed up a day early, and tells them where the dormitory rooms are.

When Barbie and the girl from Brooklyn find a door with the name "Barbie Roberts" on it, they discover that they have the same name and will be roommates. They give themselves nicknames based on their location to avert future confusions with the two, respectively Malibu and Brooklyn. They bond over their love for music and become fast friends as they hang out and explore New York City.

On the subway, "Malibu" Barbie sees a poster of a popstar named Emmie and is a big fan, but "Brooklyn" Barbie says Emmie is an old childhood friend that she hasn't seen in a long time. The two "Barbie"-named girls then made a pact to not let stardom ruin their friendship. Meanwhile, at the Handler Arts Academy, Emmie appears in disguise so she can be treated like a normal student. Dean Morrison announces that the annual Spotlight Solo will be livestreamed from Times Square. Malibu and Brooklyn meet a costume student named Rafael (who wants to be known simply as Rafa) and his dog Gato. He gives them sequinned dresses that are supposed to sparkle, but the remote control he uses to light up the dresses malfunctions.

During her first week at the academy, "Malibu" Barbie struggles in all of her classes. Ken calls her to ask how she's doing, but she has mixed feelings. Later, the "Barbie"-named girls and Rafa discover that Emmie is attending the school in disguise. When they confronted her, Emmie explains that she lost contact with "Brooklyn" Barbie because of her strict manager-father. With this, Emmie and "Brooklyn" Barbie rekindle their friendship. The "Barbie"-named girls and Rafa then sworn to keep Emmie's disguise a secret.

The "Barbie"-named girls go to Central Park and donned on the dresses Rafa gave them. "Brooklyn" Barbie tells "Malibu" Barbie that her mother is a pilot and her father is worried about her. "Malibu" Barbie can relate because her father is also uneasy about her being in NYC. They take photos to send to their fathers, then dance and twirl in front of a fountain, making their dresses sparkle. Later, Emmie's father, Mr. Miller, comes to Handler Arts Academy to observe the students. He wants Emmie to have the Spotlight Solo, even though Emmie just wants to learn. Rafa records the class as Mr. Miller observes. While Malibu is dancing, she accidentally knocks "Brooklyn" Barbie into an orchestra pit. "Brooklyn" Barbie lands on a percussionist's drum and sprains her ankle.

"Malibu" Barbie feels guilty about the accident, but she and her friends keep a positive attitude and share their struggles. According to a witness, Dean Morrison calls "Malibu" Barbie into a meeting and expels her from the academy for sabotaging "Brooklyn" Barbie, who would later be called by the dean to explain her expulsion. The two "Barbie"-named girls confront each other, break up their friendship and lament over it. Rafa and Emmie discover that Mr. Miller is behind the hullabaloo, leading the latter to confront her father, with Rafa forwarding his recorded class video to "Brooklyn" Barbie, who in turn shows it to Dean Morrison.

"Malibu" Barbie goes back home to California devastated about the thought of "Brooklyn" Barbie sabotaging her. With the truth and guilt feeling dawned on her after seeing it all for herself, "Brooklyn" Barbie and her mother follows her home route to California so that the former can apologize to "Malibu" Barbie and bring her back to the academy. They reconciled and when they return to the academy, they find out they had obtained the Spotlight Solo. On the big night, the MC Emmie reveals her identity during the livestream and introduces the "Barbie"-named girls, who appear in their now-lit-up sequinned outfits Rafa gave them earlier and perform a song about their friendship journey (known as "See You at the Finish Line") while their family and friends watch live in Times Square. After their performance, the "Barbie"-named girls held each other's opposite hand high to signal their unison whiles fireworks go off above the Times Square's skyscrapers.

Voice Cast[]

The voice cast are follows:[20]

  • America Young as Barbie "Malibu" Roberts
  • Amber May as Barbie "Brooklyn" Roberts
  • Kirsten Day as Skipper / Anonymous Student
  • Cassandra Morris as Stacie
  • Cassidy Naber as Chelsea
  • Ritesh Rajan as Ken / Anonymous Student
  • Greg Chun as George
  • Lisa Fuson as Margaret
  • Desirae Whitfield as Nikki
  • Cristina Milizia as Teresa / Anonymous Student
  • Stephanie Sheh as Renee
  • Emma Galvin as Daisy
  • Alejandro Saab as Rafa
  • Joshua Tomar as Mr. Miller
  • Bernardo De Paula as Cab Driver
  • Salli Saffioti as Female Custodian
  • Giselle Fernandez as Emmie (nicknamed Lee)
  • Dinora Walcott as Dean Morrison
  • Gabe Kunda as Male opera singer
  • Daniel M.K. Cohen as Percussionist

Other characters include the parents of Barbie "Brooklyn" Roberts and Rafael's dog Gato.

Soundtrack[]

Barbie: Big City, Big Dreams
Album Cover
Soundtrack album by
The Math Club
ReleasedAugust 28, 2021 (2021-08-28)
GenreChildren's music
Length14:21
LabelMattel–Arts Music
Producer

As already mentioned, the film is accompanied by its eponymous soundtrack which was released on global digital music streaming platforms on July 1, 2021.[10][12][11][13][14]

All tracks are written by Matthew Tishler, Allison McDonald & additionally, The Math Club.

No.TitleLength
1."Before Us"1:45
2."Work It"2:06
3."Good Vibes"2:11
4."Playground Of Our Dreams"2:47
5."See You at the Finish Line"2:51
6."Big City, Big Dreams"2:41
Total length:14:21

Promotion[]

An all-round marketing programme supported the launch of the film in the UK and Ireland where it was released in cinemas on August 20, 2021.[4] Before the film's release, the official Barbie shop section of the Mattel website displayed a countdown banner towards the US Netflix release.[21][22] British pop singer and DJ Fleur East hosted a virtual party to celebrate the film's debut on Pop in the UK & Ireland on October 22.[23]

Release[]

Aside the British and Irish theatrical and television release as well as the American Netflix debut, the film was also debuted on global kids' television channels on sperate dates and times including Cartoonito in Italy, 9Go! in Australia, Neox Kids in Spain, Super RTL in Germany and Carousel in Russia and on streaming services via iQIYI in China.[2][6]

Trivia[]

  • The Handler School of Performing Arts took its named from Ruth Handler, inventor/creator of Barbie.[24]
  • There are artwork cameos of the Barbie Fashionistas and Barbie EXTRA doll lines in New York City.
  • The custodian in New York refers to Malibu and Brooklyn as "out-of-towners". This may be a reference to the 1970 film, The Out-of-Towners, which is about two persons that go to New York City.
  • There is a Nutcracker cameo when Malibu and Brooklyn perform.
  • Barbie "Malibu" Roberts mentions "P.A.C.E" (Positive Attitude Changes Everything), her catchphrase from her series vlogs on YouTube.[25]


Planned TV series[]

Barbie: Big City, Big Dreams
Barbie - It Takes Two.png
Promotional artwork
Also known asBarbie: It Takes Two
Genre
Based onBarbie: Big City, Big Dreams
Country of originUnited States
Canada
Original languageEnglish
Production
Executive producers
  • Christopher Keenan
  • Adam Bonnett
  • Frederic Soulie
[16]
ProducerMarsha Griffin (creative)[15]
Running timeTBA
Production companies
Release
Original networkNetflix
Picture format1080i HDTV
Audio formatStereo
Original release2022 (2022)

On 1 February 2022, Mattel Television unveiled an initial 13-episode CGI-animated series based on and serving as a continuation of the film titled Barbie: It Takes Two which will air on unnamed broadcasters and streaming services (including Netflix in the U.S.) in spring 2022.[15] Executives of Barbie: Big City, Big Dreams as well as Mainframe Studios will reprise their roles in the series with the inclusion of Marsha Griffin (who previously wrote scripts for 3 Barbie films between 2015 and 2016 in Barbie in Princess Power, Barbie in Rock 'N Royals and Barbie: Spy Squad) as a creative producer.[16]

Release titles by language[]

  • Barbie: Grande Città, Grandi Sogni (Italian)
  • Barbie: Grande Ville, Grands Rêves (French)
  • Barbie: Gran Ciudad, Grandes Sueños (Spanish)
  • Barbie: Nagy Város, Nagy Álmok (Hungarian)
  • Barbie: Stórborg, Stórir Draumar (Icelandic)
  • 바비: 큰 도시, 큰 꿈 / Babi: Keun Dosi, Keun Kkum (Korean)
  • バービー：ビッグシティビッグドリーム / Bābī: Biggu Shiti Biggu Dorīmu (Japanese)
  • Barbie: Storstad, Stora Drömmar (Swedish)
  • बार्बी: बड़ा शहर, बड़े सपने (Hindi)
  • Barbie: Velik Grad, Veliki Snovi (Croatian)

References[]

  1. ^ a b c Borget, Jennifer (3 September 2021). "Barbie: Big City, Big Dreams - Movie Review". Common Sense Media. Retrieved 4 September 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  2. ^ a b c d e Keenan, Christopher (13 July 2021). "Mattel™ Television to Premiere New Barbie® Musical Event, "Barbie: Big City, Big Dreams™"" (Press release). Mattel Television. Retrieved 3 September 2021.{{cite press release}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  3. ^ a b "Watch Barbie Big City Big Dreams | Netflix". Netflix. 1 September 2021. Retrieved 3 September 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  4. ^ a b c "Barbie: Big City, Big Dreams to hit cinemas in August". Toy World Magazine | The business magazine with a passion for toys. 16 July 2021. Retrieved 1 September 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  5. ^ Kinney, Jamie (30 August 2021). "Get An Exclusive Look At Barbie's New Movie Musical Heading To Netflix". Romper. Retrieved 1 September 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  6. ^ a b c Marquardt, Danit; Karaca, Kristine (18 February 2021). "Mattel Television Announces Two New Barbie® Specials Premiering in 2021". Business Wire. Retrieved 3 September 2021. The second special, which follows the success of last year’s “”, will be a musical that follows Barbie and her friends to New York City.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  7. ^ Reynolds, Sydney (13 July 2021). "Mattel Reveals First Look at 'Barbie: Big City Big Dreams' • The Toy Book". The Toy Book. Retrieved 1 September 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  8. ^ House, Random (9 July 2021). "Big City, Big Dreams (Barbie) | Paperback". Barnes & Noble. Retrieved 3 October 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  9. ^ "Barbie: Big City, Big Dreams". Barbie UK. 20 August 2021. Archived from the original on 29 August 2021. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
  10. ^ a b "Barbie Big City Big Dreams (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) - EP by Barbie". Apple Music. 1 July 2021. Retrieved 1 September 2021.
  11. ^ a b "Barbie Big City Big Dreams (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)". Spotify. 1 July 2021. Retrieved 1 September 2021.
  12. ^ a b "Barbie: Big City, Big Dreams | Album by Barbie". Shazam. 1 July 2021. Retrieved 1 September 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  13. ^ a b "Barbie Big City Big Dreams (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) by Barbie". Amazon Music Unlimited. 1 July 2021. Retrieved 1 September 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  14. ^ a b "Barbie Big City Big Dreams (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) MP3 Songs by Barbie". Gaana. 3 July 2021. Retrieved 1 September 2021.
  15. ^ a b c Karaca, Kristine; Kazakos, Niki (1 February 2022). "Mattel Television Doubles Down On 2022 Barbie® Content Slate" (Press release). Mattel Corporate. Retrieved 6 February 2022. Building on the massive success of Barbie: Big City, Big Dreams, Mattel Television announces an all-new series, Barbie: It Takes Two, launching on broadcasters and streaming services globally this spring.{{cite press release}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  16. ^ a b c Porter, Rick (1 February 2022). "Mattel Sets New 'Barbie' Series 'It Takes Two' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 6 February 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  17. ^ "Watch 'Barbie: Big City, Big Dreams' Teaser Trailer". Animation World Network. 13 July 2021. Retrieved 1 September 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  18. ^ Santoro, Alessia (18 August 2021). "There Are 2 Barbies in Netflix's Upcoming Animated Musical Barbie: Big City, Big Dreams". POPSUGAR Family. Retrieved 1 September 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  19. ^ "Synopsis | Barbie: Big City, Big Dreams". Barbie UK. 20 August 2021. Archived from the original on 29 August 2021. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
  20. ^ "Barbie Big City, Big Dreams". Behind The Voice Actors. 2 September 2021. Retrieved 3 September 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  21. ^ "Barbie Toys, Dolls, Playsets, Vehicles & Dollhouses: Barbie". Barbie.com. Archived from the original on 29 August 2021. Retrieved 1 September 2021 – via The Wayback Machine.
  22. ^ "Barbie Big City, Big Dreams : Barbie". Barbie.com. Archived from the original on 16 July 2021. Retrieved 1 September 2021 – via The Wayback Machine.
  23. ^ Clayton, Tessa (22 October 2021). "Fleur East Hosts Barbie premiere party to celebrate the Barbie: Big City, Big Dreams movie on POP". ToyNews. Retrieved 1 November 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  24. ^ "About Barbie". Barbie Media. Retrieved 1 September 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  25. ^ "Barbie Vlogs/Vlogger". Barbie. Retrieved 1 October 2021 – via YouTube.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)

External links[]

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