Production on Sony’s Barbie movie hits another bump in the road as Amy Schumer exits the project. The comedian was due to star in and write a treatment for the project.
According to Variety, Schumer stated that the reason for her departure was scheduling conflicts. Her upcoming projects include a lengthy promotional tour for her new Fox comedy Snatched, which opens in May, and, as of yesterday, she has also been cast in Rebecca Miller’s She Came to Me opposite Steve Carell and Nicole Kidman.
“Sadly, I’m no longer able to commit to Barbie due to scheduling conflicts,” the actress said in a statement to Variety. “The film has so much promise, and Sony and Mattel have been great partners. I’m bummed, but look forward to seeing Barbie on the big screen.”
Sony bought the rights in 2014 from Mattel, but production over the last two years has been bumpy. The original script was written by Rio 2’s Jenny Bicks, before Juno’s Diablo Cody was brought on board in March 2015 to bring “a legitimately contemporary tone” to the character. She was replaced by Hilary Winston; and Schumer and her sister, Kim Caramele, were to do a partial rewrite before production begins.
Schumer actually recently produced a polish of the script, but now that she has left the project, a new tone may need to be sought for the screenplay.
A director for the film also has yet to be finalised.
