The “Life & Beth” star spoke out about parting ways with the “Barbie” live-action film adaptation during a cover story interview with The Hollywood Reporter. When Schumer left the project, the reason cited was “scheduling conflicts” with her 2018 film “I Feel Pretty.” Now, Schumer is clarifying what really happened. “They definitely didn’t want to do it the way I wanted to do it, the only way I was interested in doing it,” the 2022 Oscar co-host said. Turns out that the studio (then Sony) and Schumer just didn’t see eye to eye. Per the THR interview, Schumer and sister and writing partner Kim Caramele wrote Barbie as an “ambitious inventor,” while the studio asked that her invention be a high heel made out of Jell-O. Schumer also said that she was sent a pair of Manolo Blahniks to celebrate the film deal.

“The idea that that’s just what every woman must want, right there, I should have gone, ‘You’ve got the wrong gal,’” Schumer said. Related Simu Liu: ‘Barbie’ Will Dismantle ‘Blonde, White’ Stereotypical Doll Beauty Standards Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach’s ‘Barbie’ Is ‘Connected’ to ‘White Noise’: Both Films ‘Came Out of the Same Place’ Related Oscars 2023: Best International Feature Film Predictions The Best Film Sound of 2022
By 2018, feeling that her career was getting “a little stagnant,” Schumer left her UTA representatives. “I loved those guys, but I just didn’t feel support for, like, ‘This is who Amy is and she’s not going to be this other thing,’” Schumer said. “I felt like I was disappointing my team by not being Barbie.” The “Barbie” project moved to Warner Bros. in 2018, with Greta Gerwig and Noah Bambauch now co-writing the script and Gerwig directing. Executive producer Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling star as Barbie and Ken, with “Shang-Chi” breakout Simu Liu and America Ferrera also starring in the film. Robbie told British Vogue that the film “comes with a lot of baggage and a lot of nostalgic connections” to the Barbie franchise. “But with that comes a lot of exciting ways to attack it,” Robbie said. “People generally hear ‘Barbie’ and think, ‘I know what that movie is going to be,’ and then they hear that Greta Gerwig is writing and directing it, and they’re like, ’Oh, well, maybe I don’t.’ Meanwhile, Schumer is slated to co-host the 2022 Academy Awards alongside Wanda Sykes and Regina Hall. “Life & Beth” will premiere March 18 on Hulu, which Schumer writes, directs, and stars in opposite Michael Cera. Sign Up: Stay on top of the latest breaking film and TV news! Sign up for our Email Newsletters here.