Growing up, every girl’s dream was a ball-jointed blonde with feet that stayed tip-toed even without her sparkling pink heels on: The Barbie doll. But they’re older now, and dancing to “Barbie Girl” on Just Dance seems like a faraway memory. However, producers Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach strive to reignite this childhood land of perfection with their new movie, Barbie (2023).

Uproar originally began when scenes of the cast roller-skating in Venice Beach were being filmed publicly, eventually making their way to the internet before trailers of the movie had been officially released. Margot Robbie, playing Barbie, was dressed in a very accurate portrayal of Mattel’s 1994 “Hot Skatin’ Barbie,” with Ryan Gosling, Ken, matching her completely. Their neon outfits ignited excitement on social media, soon building a cult-like following begging for more.

To appease the rampant demands, teasers were released in the sun-like shape of Mattel’s famous logo. Celebrities like Dua Lipa, Michael Cera, Simu Liu, and many others appeared in these teasers, earning thousands of views on social media. It was so iconic that it was turned into a photo filter which people could use to put their own face in the logo. Even other celebrities unrelated to the movie decided to participate in the trend.

This level of hype was overwhelming as the pandemic had left theater’s dark nationwide. After the past few years of grotesque, horror-riddled films, Barbie’s fun nature felt like a breath of fresh air. In a preview of the movie at CinemaCon 2023, Gerwig admitted she shed a few tears when she first viewed the set, stating, “The cars that they made … it was so touching, because all of the people who made the vehicles had just made the Batmobile and were so excited to get the pink paint out.”

While all this fanfare reigns, nobody outside of the cast knows the true plot of the movie. Nothing is revealed from trailers, and the actors certainly won’t spill. Why are there so many Barbies? Why are there so many Kens? We’ll just have to find out July 21st when Barbie is finally released.