Amy Schumer backed out of the starring role in the upcoming live-action "Barbie" movie because of creative differences with the movie's studio, Sony, she revealed in a new interview.
The "Trainwreck" star dropped out of the movie in 2017, just months after it was reported that she would headline the film and would rewrite the script with her sister and writing partner, Kim Caramele. Though she cited "scheduling conflicts" as the cause at the time, Schumer, 40, told The Hollywood Reporter in an interview published Wednesday that she exited the project because she and Sony didn't see eye to eye about the character of Barbie.
“They definitely didn’t want to do it the way I wanted to do it, the only way I was interested in doing it,” said Schumer, who's scheduled to co-host the 2022 Oscars alongside Regina Hall and Wanda Sykes later this month.
At the time, the movie’s script told the story of a Barbie being kicked out of Barbieland for not being perfect enough. When Schumer told Sony that she envisioned Barbie as an inventor, Sony suggested Barbie’s invention could be a high heel made of Jell-O, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
The studio celebrated her involvement in the film by sending her a pair of Manolo Blahniks, The Hollywood Reporter also stated.
“The idea that that’s just what every woman must want, right there, I should have gone, ‘You’ve got the wrong gal,’” said Schumer, looking back.
At the time of Schumer's decision to drop out of the movie, a Sony spokesperson told Variety in a statement, “We respect and support Amy’s decision.” TODAY has reached out to Sony regarding Schumer's comments to The Hollywood Reporter.
Though Schumer is no longer involved in the Barbie movie, it's still in the works today. Oscar-nominated filmmaker Greta Gerwig (“Lady Bird,” “Little Women”) is now writing and directing the film, with Margot Robbie set to play the lead role. The movie will also star Ryan Gosling, Kate McKinnon and Simu Liu.
As for Schumer, the busy Emmy winner has been writing, directing and starring in the upcoming Hulu series “Life & Beth,” which premieres March 18. The comedy tells the story of Beth Jones (Schumer), a woman who reexamines her adolescence to understand who she is today.
Schumer told The Hollywood Reporter she got the idea to create the series while refurbishing her dad’s old farm in upstate New York, which she bought back from its new owners a few years before. The deeply personal dramedy explores Beth's past and, in particular, her close-knit but dysfunctional relationship with her mom.
“My mom was really destructive and did really harmful stuff, and also I felt so special and loved growing up," said Schumer, who shares a 2-year-old son, Gene, with husband Chris Fischer.
The "I Feel Pretty" star not only allowed her mom to read all the scripts for the 10-part series, the pair later watched every episode together: "And she’s been really f------ cool about all of it. She’s like, ‘I’m 73, I own my mistakes,’ and that’s the thing: My mom is insanely flawed and I also love her an insane amount.”