How 'Barbie' caused a global pink paint shortage?

Renowned writer-director Greta Gerwig has unveiled her remarkable vision for the upcoming live-action film based on the iconic Mattel dolls, aiming to bring her own pink-filled "Barbie" fantasy to life.

Her creative pursuit of capturing the essence of Barbie's world even caused an international shortage of pink paint as per the film's crew. 

In an exclusive interview with Architectural Digest, Gerwig emphasised the importance of maintaining the youthful essence of the Barbie universe. "Maintaining the 'kid-ness' was paramount," she expressed. "I wanted the pinks to be very bright, and everything to be almost too much."

Driven by nostalgia, Gerwig aimed to recreate the magic that once enchanted her as a young girl. "The details were meant to capture what made me love Barbie when I was a little girl."

Collaborating with production designer Sarah Greenwood, Gerwig's project encountered an unforeseen obstacle - a scarcity of the fluorescent shade of Rosco paint. Greenwood revealed, "The world ran out of pink." IndieWire had previously reported Greenwood stating that "pink became the film's thesis" during the ensemble film's design phase.

Drawing inspiration from a variety of sources, including Pee-wee's Big Adventure and An American in Paris, Gerwig's vision for the Dreamhouse's aesthetic encompassed midcentury modernism found in Palm Springs. The elaborate set was meticulously constructed at the Warner Bros. Studios lot outside of London, with a hand-painted backdrop replacing computer-generated imagery.

"We were literally creating the alternate universe of Barbie land," Gerwig shared with Architectural Digest. "Everything needed to be tactile because toys are, above all, things you touch."

Gerwig stressed the importance of "authentic artificiality" in capturing the spirit of the Dreamhouses. "I wanted to capture what was so ridiculously fun about the Dreamhouses," she stated. "Why walk down stairs when you can slide into your pool? Why trudge up stairs when you can take an elevator that matches your dress? There are no walls and no doors. Dreamhouses assume that you never have anything you wish was private — there is no place to hide."