Bridgerton showrunner Shonda Rhimes has thrown shade at the Barbie movie and said people ‘tried to make the film so much more’ than it was in a barbed new interview.
Rhimes, 54, who is gearing up for the third season premiere of Bridgerton on May 16, initially said ‘no comment’ when asked her thoughts on the Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling blockbuster before letting rip at the film’s ‘feminist manifesto.’
She told Variety: ‘OK, here’s what I’ll say. If you’re expecting a Barbie movie, then I thought it was great.
‘But I think a lot of people were expecting so much more, and then tried to make it so much more. There was nothing wrong with the movie; I thought it was totally delightful. But the weight people put on a movie about Barbie was very interesting to me.
‘I’ve heard the song I’m Just Ken in my house every single day because one of my kids sings it all the time. But, yeah, I think that people wanted it to be sort of this feminist manifesto that it doesn’t need to be.’
Bridgerton showrunner Shonda Rhimes has thrown shade at the Barbie movie and said people ‘tried to make the film so much more’ than it was in a barbed new interview (pictured Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling in the film)
Rhimes, 54, who is gearing up for the third season premiere of Bridgerton on May 16, initially said ‘no comment’ when asked her thoughts on the Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling blockbuster before letting rip at the film’s ‘feminist manifesto’
Rhimes was discussing the film after producing Netflix documentary, Black Barbie, which explores the impact of three Black women at Mattel responsible for the Black Barbie debut in 1980:
She said: ‘I think there’s something really powerful about it. I played with those dolls when I was a kid. We also had just a very interesting opportunity to add to that documentary, and to provide a lot more content and context. We have added interviews; we’ve been inside Mattel.’
The interview comes days before the new season of the Bridgerton will premiere, featuring Nicola Coughlan, 37, getting hot and heavy with her love interest Colin Bridgerton, played by Luke Newton, 31.
Nicola has already teased that series three will be even raunchier than the previous two, which became famous for their racy moments.
But despite admitting she was initially nervous about having her own intimate scenes, the Derry Girls star has gushed that she and Luke got to the point where they were able to relax, even while nude.
In February, the pair had spoken to AP about the show’s sex scenes, with Nicola saying: ‘There is such vulnerability in those scenes and it’s also a really important part of the story – they’re an important part of the narrative.
‘But [Luke] made me feel really taken care of. Like we really had each other’s backs and also then we could just have a laugh about it. Like to the point that we were just lying under a blanket being like “We’re actually chill now.”‘
She told Variety : ‘OK, here’s what I’ll say. If you’re expecting a Barbie movie, then I thought it was great. ‘But I think a lot of people were expecting so much more, and then tried to make it so much more’
Luke laughed and echoed: ‘Yeah halfway through the day you just relax and you’re like “I don’t even care that I’m naked”.’
Nicola added: ‘We were having the best time. They were like do you want to get up and we were like “No, no, I’m fine. I’m comfy”.’
Speaking to Teen Vogue, Nicola confirmed: ‘Yeah, so it’s really funny. That is true.
‘It is a testament to the fact that we just got to a point where we were so comfortable together. We’d just finished the big sex scene, the most intense and involved one…. and we just felt relieved.’
She added that logistically it also made sense to only be clad in a tiny amount of ‘not of even real clothes’ so they could get back to work straight away.
Luke also told the publication that the fact that he and Nicola had already known each other and worked together for several years helped them feel less nervous about filming sizzling scenes, as they could support each other.
He said: ‘Having shot [romance] scenes with Nicola and with actors that I would perhaps meet on the same day, I think a lot of people think it’s better not to know the person.
‘But I actually think having a really solid friendship with someone and trusting someone is a lot easier.
The third season of Rhimes’ Bridgerton starring Nicola Coughlan and Luke Newton will premiere on Netflix on May 16
‘We could support each other in whatever way we needed on set, and also just have a laugh about it.
‘I’m really glad we got to share it together. It was like having a really close friend as you’re going through something that’s maybe quite daunting.’
Earlier this month, Nicola said she had actually found shooting the sex scenes ‘enjoyable and empowering’, revealing they had even broken furniture while going at it.
