Margot Robbie: Barbie movie is celebration of real life Barbie – Greta Gerwig

The Australian actress, who stars alongside Ryan Gosling as the titular character in the upcoming film, said Gerwig was “everything” and “can do anything”.

Based on the Mattel doll, the Barbie movie follows Robbie and Gosling’s Barbie and Ken as they leave Barbie Land and travel to the real world.

Gerwig has written the screenplay with her long-term partner Noah Baumbach, director of films such as Marriage Story and Frances Ha.

A number of other actors and actresses, including Sex Education star Emma Mackey and Simu Liu, will play different types of Barbie and Ken.

Asked about how the movie would change the perception of Barbie, Robbie told the PA news agency: “I think that’s been changing and shifting over the years multiple times.

“I think sometimes Barbie has been ahead of the times, sometimes she’s been behind the times majorly.”

She added: “I think this movie is its own thing right now but it’s just supposed to celebrate the real life Barbie that is Greta Gerwig.

“She is everything and can do anything.”

For the London premiere on Wednesday Robbie mirrored the Enchanted Evening Barbie from 1960 in her choice of outfit.

The actress wore a pale pink gown with a corseted strapless top, floral detailing at the hip, a train and white opera gloves.

She was joined by Gosling and Ladybird and Little Women director Gerwig.

Asked about her penchant for strong female characters, she told PA: “It’s what I’m interested in – I like women.

“I mean I like men too but I’m very interested in women and how they construct their lives, intergenerationally and what they think is important.

“You inevitably end up making movies about things you like, and I like ladies.”

Gerwig added that men that were hesitant about going to see a “girlie” movie would be “pleasantly surprised”.

“Implicitly you say Barbie and people will think it’s girlie but the truth is there’s a lot in it for the men and the Kens,” she told PA.

“I think if they go they’ll find themselves pleasantly surprised.

Gosling also said that Barbie was a “very layered and complicated” film that was a “choose-your-own-adventure”.

“I wouldn’t want to Kensplain the Barbie movie. I think it’s very layered and complicated and it’s so unexpected, and there’s so much in there,” he told PA.

“I had the experience of experiencing as Greta wanted me to… and I want other people to have that experience too.

“There’s so many interesting conversations going on in it – there’s also a lot of dancing, it’s really just a ‘choose-your-own-adventure’, but it’s loaded and I think it’s just so special.”

British stars Sam Smith and Dua Lipa are among the artists that feature on the movie’s soundtrack, alongside US heavyweights Billie Eilish and Haim.

Barbie arrives in UK cinemas on July 21.