In August 2024, following the success of the 2023 live-action film, Mattel announced plans for a theatrically released animated Barbie film, with Universal Pictures' Illumination division as a potential production partner. Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie, the director and lead actress of the 2023 film respectively, are said to not be involved.[14][15]
Adaptations and original plots (2001–2009)
Mattel launched its eponymous in-house entertainment division in 2001[16] and began the Barbie film series by adapting pre-existing stories/tales, with CGI animation provided by Canadian studio Mainframe Entertainment. Elise Allen introduced original storylines to the series through screenwriting the main entries of the Barbie: Fairytopia franchise. In between their co-productions, American studio Curious Pictures pitched in by animating The Barbie Diaries (2006).
In 2007, Mainframe was acquired by local post-production company, Rainmaker Income Fund, rebranding it as Rainmaker Animation initially and then Rainmaker Entertainment the following year. The films during this period were originally distributed on VHS and DVD by Artisan Entertainment and Family Home Entertainment from 2001 until 2004, when both were acquired by and folded into Lionsgate. In 2006, Mattel ceased distribution of the films on VHS and focused solely on DVD; at the same time, Universal (which already held their foreign distribution rights) took over the domestic distribution rights, after negotiations with Lionsgate broke down over the low amount offered by Mattel to continue distributing future Barbie films.[17] Lionsgate was permitted to continue distribution of the titles released by them up to The Barbie Diaries for several years after; these rights eventually reverted to Mattel, who then authorized Universal to begin reissuing these titles.[4][5]
This 2nd entry based on the classic tale by the Brothers Grimm stars Barbie as Rapunzel, who is trapped in a tall tower by an evil witch. Hidden from the outside world by a witch named Gothel, Rapunzel spends much of her day painting and dreaming of a happier life. After many years alone, Rapunzel goes on a journey with her friends Penelope and Hobie to find her happily ever after.[34]
Barbie of Swan Lake (2003)
Based on the Swan Lake ballet music by Tchaikovsky, this 3rd film revolves around Barbie playing Odette, a young daughter of a baker, who one day follows a unicorn by name Lila into an enchanted forest. After being turned into a swan by a sorcerer named Rothbart, she decides to uncover how to break the spell upon herself and free the forest from Rothbart's evil clutches.
Barbie as the Princess and the Pauper (2004)
Based on the classic tale by Mark Twain and the first musical film in the series, this 4th film stars Barbie as the dual role of blonde Princess Anneliese and brunette commoner Erika, who go along a journey towards a lifelong friendship. The two soon discover the Queen's advisor, Preminger, has evil plans to take endless power for himself. Only Erika knows how to help Anneliese save the kingdom.
Following the original release of this film, Lionsgate would acquire Artisan Entertainment and Family Home Entertainment and thus in the process take over the original distribution rights to/of the films.
Barbie: Fairytopia (2005)
The 5th entry and the first ever original Barbie film stars Barbie as a wingless fairy named Elina who lives in a magical meadow with her puffball best friend, Bibble. Many of Elina's winged friends lose their flying abilities and become weak due to a green-colored potion spread throughout the meadow by firebirds sent by an evil fairy named Laverna. Elina sets off to save her meadow and her friends by tracking down Azura, one of 7 Guardian Fairies.
This film was released in the spring, breaking the one-film-per-year autumn/fall release cycle of the previous films.
Barbie and the Magic of Pegasus (2005)
This 6th film entry and the 2nd original film in the series stars Barbie as a talented ice skater named Princess Annika. When her family and village are attacked by the evil wizard Wenlock, she embarks on a journey to save them. Accompanied by a hunter named Aidan, her cursed older sister, Brietta, and a polar bear named Shiver, the group uncover family secrets and make a plan to defeat Wenlock to save their people.
Barbie Fairytopia: Mermaidia (2006)
The 7th entry and the final Barbie film to be originally released on VHS follows is the sequel to Barbie: Fairytopia. This time, the fairy Elina must rescue the mer-prince Nalu from Laverna's fungal minions. Elina and Bibble team up with a mermaid named Nori to locate the prince and save Mermadia.
Following the original release of this film, Mattel ceased future Barbie film releases on VHS, as the format was gradually deprecating in market share and worldwide popularity at the time.
The Barbie Diaries (2006)
This 8th entry is the first to solely be originally released on DVD, the last Barbie film to be originally distributed by Lionsgate and the only Barbie film produced by Curious Pictures. This film stars Barbie in her inaugural standalone character and her best friends Tia, Courtney and Kevin as sophomores in high school. The four stick together as they face high school challenges whiles making music under their band name "Charmz". Barbie strives to land her dream job at the school's TV station but has to battle the school's most popular girl, Raquelle, and juggle her boy crush feelings, both with the school's top jock, Todd, and her own male best friend, Kevin, at the same time. With Raquelle advancing on Todd. One day, with her friends with her, Barbie opens her locker and a letter slipped to the floor. When she took it and read it out loud, her friends recognize that Barbie has a secret admirer, but Barbie would not admit it. Barbie begins to lean on a magic diary given to her by a kind and fun-to-be-with sales girl named Stephanie to help strengthen her confidence and go for her dreams. Barbie would later "rock the house" with Charmz in place of her reporter dream. Kevin would eventually have hold of Raquelle's necklace which she inexplicably let slip from her hands and hand it to Barbie, who was dazzled at its beauty. Whiles, he was explaining his "secret admirer" status, Barbie chose to interrupt him in favor of dancing with her.
Barbie in the 12 Dancing Princesses (2006)
Based on the eponymous tale by the Brothers Grimm, the 9th entry, the 3rd ballet film, and the first Barbie film to be originally distributed by Universal tells the story of a widowed King Randolph and his 12 daughters, including the most outgoing of them all, Princess Genevieve, played by Barbie. To ensure his daughters grow up to learn to behave like proper ladies, the King enlists his less fortunate cousin, Duchess Rowena, to teach the girls about royal etiquette. Little does he know that the Duchess wants to end his life and take over the kingdom for herself.
Barbie Fairytopia: Magic of the Rainbow (2007)
The 10th entry and the final part of the Barbie: Fairytopia trilogy follows Elina to fairy school where she learns fairy magic and dancing. Once again, Laverna comes up with an evil plan to stop the fairies from performing their annual rainbow dance, destroy a tulip called the "first blush of spring," and plunge all of Fairytopia into darkness and winter. Elina and her classmates must learn to set their differences aside and unite to stop Laverna once and for all.
This film is the last to be produced by Mainframe under the Mainframe Entertainment name.
Barbie as the Island Princess (2007)
This 11th film entry, the second musical film in the series and the only film to be produced by Mainframe Studios under the Rainmaker Animation name following the Rainmaker Income Fund acquisition stars Barbie as a shipwrecked young girl named Rosella who lands and grows up on an island along with its inhabitant anthropomorphic animals. One day, a prince named Antonio and his right-hand man, Fraser, arrives on the island and meets Rosella, who was at first known as simply Ro, and her pet friends to explore civilization. Together, they discover a plot to recover Ro's kingdom and do what they can to try and save the day.
Barbie: Mariposa (2008)
Alternatively titled Barbie Fairytopia: Mariposa and Barbie: Mariposa & Her Butterfly Fairy Friends, this 12th film entry in the series is the first of 2 spin-offs of the Barbie: Fairytopia trilogy-turned-franchise and the first to be produced by Mainframe Studios under the Rainmaker Entertainment name.
In this film, Elina narrates a story about a fairy named Mariposa and her friends, Rayna and Rayla, living in a distant kingdom in Fairytopia known as Flutterfield. This kingdom is protected by magical lights put in place by its ruler, Queen Marabella. However, when Queen Marabella falls ill and the lights threaten to dim, Mariposa and her friends must venture into enemy territory to find a cure for their beloved Queen.
Barbie & the Diamond Castle (2008)
This 13th film entry and the 3rd musical film stars Barbie and her best friend Teresa, appearing as a side character for the first time in a mainstream Barbie production, sharing their love of music. It is the first film to feature Stacy, replacing Kelly, who originally was told stories by Barbie. The two friends star as Liana and Alexa, two girls who live in a cottage with big dreams. After finding a muse named Melody trapped in a mirror, they both embark on a journey to restore a Diamond Castle, before Lydia, a witch who has betrayed the muses, takes the castle for herself.
Barbie in A Christmas Carol (2008)
Based on the 1844 story/tale by Charles Dickens, this 14th film entry about the meaning of Christmas and helping those who are less fortunate, stars Barbie and her younger sister, Kelly, who would rather stay at home on Christmas instead of attending the hospital's annual charity ball. Barbie tells her a story of an opera singer named Eden Starling with a similar point of view about not only her hatred for Christmas, but like Kelly, the Christmas culture. Her best friend, Catherine Beadnell, and close co-workers helping to put up decorations for the Christmas festivities grow more disconsolate about her behavior. They begin to distance themselves from her or even plan with or invite her to any holiday event.
But her behaviors and perception about Christmas would all change for the night as she is visited by 3 Christmas spirits; each one coming in one hour after another, showing her Christmas Past, the Christmas Present and the Christmas Future. Eden only then discovers the true meaning of Christmas.
Nikki appears for the inaugural time a Barbie film at this entry. This film would feature the final appearance of Barbie's younger sister under the name Kelly as Mattel would change her name to Chelsea in 2011 prior to Barbie: Life in the Dreamhouse. This would also be the final film scripted by Elana Lesser and Clifford "Cliff" Ruby, who scripted the inaugural film entry with former Mattel executive producer, Rob Hudnut, and were responsible for scripting most of the story adaptations in the films since its 2001 debut.
Barbie Presents Thumbelina (2009)
Based on Thumbelina by Hans Christian Andersen and alternatively called Barbie Presents: Thumbelina, this 15th film entry stars Barbie as little Thumbelina and her friends working together to save the environment. A magical group of Twillerbees are one with nature and have amazing abilities to help plants and flowers flourish. However, a spoiled girl named Makena, damages Thumbelina's favorite area of wildflowers for sport. On top of that, a construction company also threatens the Twillerbee's land, and only Thumbelina and her friends have the courage to try to stop them.
Barbie and the Three Musketeers (2009)
Based on the 1844 French tale The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas, this 16th film entry and the first to depict the original debut Barbie wordmark logo stars Barbie as Corinne, a brave girl who longs to become a fighter and protect the French royal family just as her father has. Corinne is disappointed to discover girls are not allowed to be musketeers. Instead, Corinne and three scullery maids, Viveca, Aramina, and Renee all share the same desire to fight as musketeers and defend the royal family. All four are trained in secret by a swordmaster and soon put their talent to work to save Prince Louis, who has a hidden affection for Corrine.
Modern-day plots (2010–2015)
From late 2010 to late 2014, Mattel reorganized and swapped the "Mattel Entertainment" banner in favor of "Barbie Entertainment" to reflect a shift in strategy for the Barbie films, which included a switch in focus from classic princess stories/tales to more modern settings and plots involving fashion, music and plots involving Barbie's family and friends. The majority of the films below were animated by Mainframe Studios under the Rainmaker Entertainment name. Technicolor partnered with Mattel on 2 of the films, as did Arc Productions, with the latter rewarded by Mattel after the latter was impressed by their animation work on the first non-Barbie-film production; the web series Barbie: Life in the Dreamhouse. Mattel would launch its in-house production division, Mattel Playground Productions on 16 October 2013, absorbing the "Mattel Entertainment", "Mattel Studios" and "Barbie Entertainment" name banners in the process; this name was not used on Barbie films until Barbie and the Secret Door in late 2014.
This 17th film entry, the first modern film in the series and the last Barbie film under the "Mattel Entertainment" banner stars Barbie as a surfer named Merliah Summers who lives with her grandfather in Malibu, California. Previously believing that she is an ordinary teen, she learns of her true identity during a surfing tournament: she is a mermaid princess of a kingdom called Oceana. With new dolphin and mermaid friends, Merliah tries to save the Oceana kingdom and her mother Calissa. The team of new friends needs to work together to find three magical ocean items in order to save everyone.
Barbie: A Fashion Fairytale (2010)
This 18th film entry and the first film under the "Barbie Entertainment" banner stars Barbie as herself for the second time and first since The Barbie Diaries playing a princess in a film take on "The Princess and the Pea". When Barbie heard pounding noises, she stood up from the fictional bed and screamed, making the director cut the scene. She tried her best to politely question the director's motives of bringing "zombie peas" into the film/movie, which he claims "were trending at the time", but she ended up getting fired by him. Returning to her styling set, she gets a call from Nikki and opened up her laptop to check out what she just told her: her flops at the film she just got fired from. Her friends console her and she gets a second phone call, this time from Ken, at the time her boyfriend, who breaks up with her and hangs up. She told her friends who got baffled and tried to call Ken again, but to no avail. One of her friends named Grace snatched Barbie's phone from her and blocked her from every communication tool/service and suggested she and her friend, Teresa, would get Barbie and her French poodle, Sequin, to travel faraway to re-invigorate herself. Barbie herself thought of visiting her Aunt Millicent at her fashion designer house in Paris. During Barbie's journey to Paris, her friends went to confront Ken, who was recording lines with Raquel on her phone. Before her friends came, Ken could not call Barbie since yesterday but Raquel eschewed his thought and made a promise to him not to play it in front of the P.A. systems at school for morning announcements. After Grace saw the determination from Ken to get Barbie back, she suggested going to Paris himself to prove his love for her. But he would face numerous detours before getting there, from sitting next to a little boy in a plane to driving in a peasant farmer's vehicle with his pig at night.
Before arriving at Millicent's, Barbie discovers a rival fashion house belonging to Jacqueline, who claims her fashion house is the "finest" in Paris, and Delphine. She meets her aunt and Marie-Alecia or Alice and learns that the fashion house business was sold to a hot-dog salesman and the fashion house will likely shut down if sales do not pick up. With the help of Millicent's assistant, Alice, as well as in-house mythical "flairies", Shimmer, Glimmer and Shyne, they come up with bold creative ideas to save the business. Ken re-affirms his love for Barbie after the Millicent's fashion house receives recognition from the fashion world. Acclaimed fashion critic, Liliana Roxelle, arrives and invites them on a limousine ride to a party at her mansion, which was elevated to a horse carriage ride. The assistant to the director at Barbie's film at the beginning of the film sped out to hand her a new role at the studio that fired her and now wants her back. Barbie verbally considered it but only after the party after which she would gaze at Ken's eyes and the film fades off.
This film also features Ken in his Barbie film debut and the return of Raquel from "The Barbie Diaries" and Teresa from "Barbie & the Diamond Castle".
Barbie: A Fairy Secret (2011)
This 19th film entry about fairies dwelling in the human world and the power of friendship sees the return of Barbie, Ken and Raquel, with the latter gaining more screen time than in the previous film.
The film begins with Barbie getting ready for the red carpet rollout for her latest film (this film) where fashion stylist friends, Carrie and Taylor appeared ahead of her. Taylor drags Carrie out of a televised interview upon seeing "an old friend" named Crystal, with Raquel availing herself as a replacement. The limousine carrying Barbie and Ken caught the female reporter, with the name Tracy Clinger, who rushed to interview Barbie much to Raquel's annoyance and jealousy. That jealousy translated to her intentionally stepping on Barbie's dress so it could rip at her leg areas from her knees to her feet soles. Luckily, Taylor and Carrie spotted it and with fake smiles on camera shoved her off so they could fix it (with fairy magic). Crystal returns to show pictures. Wally is kidnapped by fairies and Barbie's reveal they are also fairies and they may know where Ken has been taken. Barbie sets out to find Ken with her rival Raquel in a secret fairy world named Gloss Angeles and bring him back. Along the way, they face challenges and discover fairy magic but most of all they find the power of friendship.
Barbie: Princess Charm School (2011)
In this 20th film entry, Barbie portrays Blair Willows, a kind and generous young waitress living with her adopted mother, Ms. Willows, and stepsister, Emily, in the humble peasant apartment of Gardania. Blair's life takes a dramatic turn when she wins a lottery spot at the prestigious Princess Charm School, where she can learn the ways of royalty. However, Blair's arrival at the school is met with hostility from Dame Devin, a selfish woman who suspects Blair may be the missing heiress to the throne of Gardania. Despite Dame Devin's multiple attempts to sabotage her, Blair finds support in her friends, Hadley and Isla, who stand by her side. As the day of the coronation approaches, Dame Devin locks Blair, Hadley, and Isla away to ensure her daughter, Delancy, receives the crown. But when they manage to break free and reach the ceremony, Delancy realizes the truth and selflessly places the crown on Blair's head. In a magical moment, Blair transforms into Princess Sophia, the long-lost heir to the kingdom. Dame Devin's plan crumbles before her eyes, and in a fit of rage, she reveals her scheme on live TV, shocking the entire kingdom. The ceremony convener swiftly orders her removal. Princess Sophia, now revealed, delivers a heartfelt speech and chooses Delancy as her Lady Royal assistant, acknowledging her role in the coronation. Despite Delancy's initial disbelief, she accepts the honor, and the ceremony is filled with music and joy. As the celebration continues, Lady Royal Delancy brings Princess Sophia's attention to her adopted family, who still affectionately call her Blair. The night ends with dancing and happiness, as Princess Sophia embraces her newfound role and the love of her family.
Barbie: A Perfect Christmas (2011)
This 21st film entry and the second/last Barbie Christmas/Holiday film, stars Barbie and her sisters; Skipper, Stacie and Chelsea together in their feature film debut, as they pack up and head to New York City to visit her Aunt Millicent, who she colloquially calls Aunt Mille. Along the journey, unforeseen complications pop up and the sisters find themselves in the festive town of Tannenbaum where their trip takes a musical turn in the picturesque snow-covered mountains.
Barbie in A Mermaid Tale 2 (2012)
This 22nd film entry and the standalone sequel to Barbie in A Mermaid Tale follows the return of Barbie as surfer-mermaid, Merliah Summers, to Australia to compete in a huge surfing competition. While Merliah is away from Oceana, a mermaid with evil intentions named Eris returns to attempt a second time to take over the throne. Merliah and her friends are pushed to the limit as her love for both worlds are challenged. With Eris defeated, Merliah cheers on a local surfing rival, Kylie Morgan, whiles she discovers her magic powers as she surfs through the water. After winning, Kylie went down the winner's podium to share the trophy with Merliah.
Barbie: The Princess & the Popstar (2012)
This 23rd film entry and the first modern Barbie film take of Mark Twain's "The Prince and the Pauper" stars Barbie as the dual role of Princess Victoria Bethany Evangeline Renee, or Tori for short, of the Kingdom of Maribella and a popstar, Keira, the latter performing a concert to commemorate the kingdom's 500th anniversary. As they meet and they discover they have a lot in common including their beautiful looks. The two decided to swap places to discover whether or not the other life would be as easy as they thought it would when it would turn out that it is, and they begin to find more value in being the best version of themselves.
This film also stars Barbie sisters; Stacie as Meredith Renee and Chelsea as Trevi Renee.
Barbie in the Pink Shoes (2013)
This 24th film entry and the 4th and final dance film in the series stars Barbie as a ballet dancer Kristyn Farraday who one day gets swept away with her friend, Hayley, to a secret ballet world when she tries on a pair of sparkly pink shoes she . In this new fantasy world, Kristyn learns about an evil Snow Queen and that she must defeat by dancing her favorite ballets, which are the famous ballets of Giselle and Swan Lake.
From this film until Barbie: Video Game Hero, every Barbie film would be originally released on DVD, Blu-ray and digital copies (branded as "Digital HD").
Barbie: Mariposa & the Fairy Princess (2013)
The sequel to Barbie: Mariposa and the second of 2 spin-offs of the Barbie: Fairytopia trilogy which serves as its epilogue, this 25th film entry sees the return of Barbie as the fairy Mariposa being sent by the Queen Marabella as the royal ambassador from Flutterfield to the fairy kingdom of Shimmervale to make peace with the inhabitant Crystal Fairies and the kingdom's ruler, King Regellius and his daughter, Princess Catania. During the film, the two uncover an evil plot by Gwyllion and her pet bat Boris to destroy Shimmervale by turning the crystals into rocks and must rely on their new friendship to save the kingdom and make peace. Unlike the first film and during this sequel, there are hints and flashes of sparks flying whenever Mariposa and Queen Marabella's son, Prince Carlos, meet which would be seen at the final scene of the film by her best friend Willa and Princess Catania and Talayla.
Barbie & Her Sisters in A Pony Tale (2013)
This 26th film entry stars Barbie and her sisters; Skipper, Stacie and Chelsea, as they set off to Switzerland for a summer horseback riding adventure. Barbie finds a one-of-kind horse which she heard from everyone that it is just a myth to bring back home to Malibu. Stacie is out to prove she is an excellent rider, Chelsea wants to ride the big horses and Skipper isn't so thrilled about being outdoors. Skipper however does meet a smart handsome male horse rider who tries to get under her skin but she rather tries to coax the soft side of him instead, which he would easily resist.
Barbie: The Pearl Princess (2014)
In a kingdom far away, King Nereus and Queen Lorelei worry over their missing daughter, Lumina, while the king's brother, Caligo, wants to install his son, Fergis, to the throne of Seagundia. One day, an invitation to the coronation party of the heir to the throne lands in Lumina's home far away from the kingdom.
Lumina and Kuda devise every means to hide themselves from Scylla, even when an octopus by the name of Madame Ruckus drags them upon seeing them into her "Salon La Mer". Madame Ruckus sees Lumina's hidden pearl magic talents and employs her straightaway, introducing her to her employees; Sandrine, a sassy headstrong blue-themed mermaid, and Cora, a shy sweet orange-themed mermaid. A mermaid named Delphin arrives with his dolphin friend and gets confused by his Segundia map and sees Madame Ruckus struggling with her items. In offering to help her, Madame Ruckus inadvertently sends him to her salon where he would meet Lumina, but his dolphin sends him away before he could go deeper into conversation with her. Cora gets bedazzled at his appearance, leading Sandrine to tease Lumina about him. Caligo comes to the salon to meet who he calls "the new stylist" in town and requests the "miracle worker" to remodel his son's hair. Fergis sees and gets curious about a plant next to her, leading him to ask Lumina, who in turn asks Cora, who gets him mesmerized upon showing her face. The mermaid Cora is styling tells her what he thinks of her, which she buys into, and Lumina introduces him to her right after the facial revamp. That would be one of five scenes in the film where conversations between Fergis and Cora would try to stave off distractions from Caligo and Sandrine. Madame Ruckus comes in seconds later with invitations to the coronation party dubbed the "Royal Ball," and they begin getting themselves ready.
Caligo summons Scylla to poison the king's nectar, but she refuses. However, he has his eel friends capture Lumina once he learns from them she is the missing princess. Lumina gets out just in time to slap out the king's poisoned nectar cup from his hand with her tail fin. Caligo tries to save his reputation by having the guards take captive of Lumina, but rather succeeds in pushing Scylla to the bare stone fish spike not covered by the pearls. Scylla tells Lumina about her past and why she took and raised her far away from the kingdom before she passes away. Spike replies with the sulfur lily when asked by Lumina if there is an antidote to his venom, which enlightens Fergis as it is the same flower he wore which Caligo loosened from him in anger earlier. Cora asks if he knows the plant, but Caligo momentarily grins to doubt him. He, however, stands up to his father at the little smile of encouragement from Cora and gives it to Lumina. Feeling defeated, Caligo takes Scylla away, but a now angry Lumina summons all the pearls of the kingdom to first lock the door to stop him from escaping, then separates him from Scylla so Lumina can give her the two-petal antidote from the lily. Scylla regains consciousness and hugs Lumina, returning the pearls to where they came from. Free from the stone fish spike sting, she then concludes exposing Caligo's intentions for her to the kingdom. Caligo expresses disbelief, but Fergis backs her up while stating his botanist passion instead of being king which his father wanted. He transfers the pearl of the sea he is wearing to Lumina, which glows and transforms her outfit into a royal outfit; thus confirming her as the missing princess. Caligo is sent out of the castle by Madame Ruckus and everyone returns to party mood, with a picture of the Segundia royal family and the assistants to finish the film off.
This film is the 27th in the series and the final film under the "Barbie Entertainment" banner, with future films in the series using the production company name Mattel established the previous year.
Barbie and the Secret Door (2014)
This 28th film entry and the first Barbie film under the "Mattel Playground Productions" moniker stars Barbie as princess Alexa. She finds a secret door after singing in the royal garden. It leads her into magical new realm, which happens to be a kingdom named Zinnia. Alexa encounters a fairy named Nori and a mermaid named Romy. They go try and save the land from the evil Princess Malucia, who is trying to steal all of the kingdom's magic.
Barbie in Princess Power (2015)
This 29th film entry stars Barbie as a princess named Kara who wants to help out in the community rather than perform her royal duties which she says is "more like boring." Her parents believed that her helping out in the community is prone to "danger and trouble", even adding "good advice" from their royal advisor, Baron Von Ravendale, who secretly wants to rule the kingdom of Windimere himself. He stated that his father lost to the current king, Kristoff, to a rock-paper-scissors game. A potion he was making got spilled by his frog friend into his machine which also trickled down to a caterpillar in a sewer. The caterpillar moved to a branch of a tree and morphed into a cocoon and then a pink butterfly. Whiles Kara was lamenting to her sisters, Madison and Makyla, about the overprotective nature of her parents, her cousin, Corrine, was revelling in becoming a princess. The butterfly moved closer to Corrine who was annoyed and wanted to slap it away with a stick-like tool, but Kara stopped her, causing her to loose balance and fall. Kara helped her to her feet after which the butterfly kissed Kara for a "thanks", which made her feel weird and funny until she became unconscious and slept. When she woke up, she saw her scared kitten and helps her out. That was how she realized the effect of the butterfly kiss. With the help of her sisters she evolved with her power to become a superhero and adopt the name Super Sparkle. Kara flies around saving the day, but her cousin was having none of that. She overheard Madison and Makayla about how Kara got her powers and set out to find the butterfly and get her powers adopting the name Dark Sparkle and rival her for the affection of the people of Windimere. After Baron re-made his pink potion, he drank it so as to get powers and seek to expel the family from the Windimere castle even to the extent of waking up a sleeping volcano to descend on it. Kara and Corrine set aside their jealousy and rivalry to fend off Baron and have him locked up in an indestructible tower chamber, thus saving the kingdom.
Barbie in Rock 'N Royals (2015)
This 30th film entry and the second of 3 modern film takes on Mark Twain's The Prince and the Pauper is an upbeat modern musical film starring Barbie in a dual role of Princess Courtney and famous rock star, Erika Juno. Unfortunate mix-ups in a roll-call in two opposite camps sees the two accidentally swap camps with the princess landing in Camp Pop and the rock star landing in Camp Royalty. While the two camps try to reverse the mistake, the two girls make the most of their unique situation and begin new friendships whiles also discovering a plot to shut down Camp Pop because of a so-called perception about "royals having higher esteem than rock stars and/or pop stars".
This would be the last film/movie entry starring Barbie as another character. Future films in the series would star or feature her as herself.
Mattel would retire the Mattel Playground Productions banner in mid-2016 in favor of their then-new banner, Mattel Creations, which it created on 31 March that year. On 25 October 2016, Rainmaker Entertainment acquired and merged with Frederator Studios and Erzin-Hirsh Entertainment into a new holding company known as WOW! Unlimited Media, LLC and rebranded as Rainmaker Studios. Arc Productions animated the other 2 of their 4 contracted films and was poised to add a 5th to their portfolio, but could only do pre-production on that 5th entry; Arc subsequently began to suffer from financial issues in the summer of 2016, then filed for bankruptcy weeks later.[49][50][51] The 5th entry, titled Barbie & Her Sisters in A Puppy Chase, would be brought over to Rainmaker Entertainment for completion.
Barbie & Her Sisters in The Great Puppy Adventure (2015)
This 31st film entry sees the return of Barbie and her sisters, Skipper, Stacie and Chelsea as they head back to their hometown of Willows, Wisconsin while driving a camper, where they find themselves rummaging through the pups that Tiffany gave birth to them and found something in grandma's attic. After that day Barbie met Christie at Willowfest. So, Tiffany the dog was taking girls and puppies to the treasure hunt and leaves before she is tired, wagging her tail and going back to grandma's balcony. Now, the sisters in a group group finds a treasure map of their local town and set out to discover a hidden chest of jewels and nickels but "finding the real treasure are their friendships". Mayor Jenkins congrats them. So grandma roberts and Tiffany say: "Your grandfather would be so proud." Tiffany and her friends go back to Willows wisconsin, before Barbie, Skipper, Stacie and Chelsea go to Malibu with their doggies.
Barbie: Spy Squad (2016)
This 32nd film entry is about ordinary friends working together to achieve the unexpected, and stars Barbie, Teresa, and new character, Renee, as talented gymnasts who are recruited as undercover agents with bangless ponytails in streaks. With the girls' special skills and teamwork, they track down a jewel thief who is responsible for a long series of robberies and prove they can be great spies.
This is the last Barbie film produced by "Mattel Playground Productions" before its absorption into "Mattel Creations" on 31 March 2016.
Barbie: Star Light Adventure (2016)
This 33rd film entry about a space adventure in a faraway universe is the 5th Barbie film to be given a limited theatrical release in the United States and the first since Barbie: A Fairy Secret. Barbie flies through space on her hoverboard with her furry sidekick, Pupcorn, who would later on transform into a space kitten. One day, the bright stars begin to dim and flicker. To save the stars, Barbie flies to a new planet to unite with a team of heroes on a mission to save the twinkling stars. If Barbie listens to her heart and follows her instincts, she just might be the leader the universe needs.
It is the first Barbie film produced by "Mattel Creations" since its launch on 30 March 2016. It would also prove to be the final full-length animation work of Arc Productions as they would face a payroll glitch on 1 August 2016 and shut down days later.[49][50][51] They did however manage to do the pre-production work for the next film entry before its shut down. Later that month, they got acquired by Jam Filled Entertainment and re-open as its Toronto branch but thus left Rainmaker Entertainment as the sole film animation company again.
Barbie & Her Sisters in A Puppy Chase (2016)
This 34th entry about teamwork stars Barbie and her sisters in their 4th feature film together, this time traveling to a tropical paradise in Hawaii for Chelsea's dance competition. The group and their puppies have some free time before the dance and decide to visit a nearby Dancing Horse Festival. When they explore the Horse festival, the girls get separated from their puppies and must find them before the big dance.
Barbie: Video Game Hero (2017)
This 35th entry is the final feature film in the series and the last Barbie film to be originally released on home video formats and broadcast on either Nickelodeon or any other children's television network in the United States. In this film, Barbie gets magically transported into her favorite video game and becomes a roller-skating character with blonde pigtails. She befriends two characters in the game called Bella, who is a roller-skating princess, and Kris. The two girls work together playing level after level to defeat an evil purple virus trying to manipulate the entire game.
Pre- and post-Dreamhouse Adventures (2017–2024)
From 2017 onwards, Mattel took advantage of the rise of streaming media services to revamp the Barbie feature films into streaming television films and have them predominantly released on Netflix in the United States, although they could be picked up by global television networks for telecast. Rainmaker Studios animated only one film before rebranding to Mainframe Studios.[57] Mattel would extend its partnership with Netflix on 21 October 2022, 4 days before the American debut of the franchise's inaugural interactive special, "Barbie: Epic Road Trip", which would also see the pre-2017 film catalogue previously held by Universal made available through the service.[58][59][60]
This 36th entry marked the return of Barbie to Netflix since Barbie: Life in the Dreamhouse and would become the preferred destination for newer Barbie content in the U.S. This entry was originally marketed by Mattel as a special and the pilot to the "Dreamhouse Adventures" TV series. Although the film debuted on Netflix in the U.S., Universal did make it available for sale on DVD and digital copies.[61] It is also the first television film with a reduced 1-hour length in duration which Mattel would use to replace the feature-length duration in future mainstream Barbie film releases in a transition to streaming media.
At the beginning of this film, gemstone dolphins and a mermaid were swimming across an ocean whiles a boat came passing by. The green dolphin somehow separated itself from the rest and got caught in the net. The mermaid shouted its name as Emerald and vowed to find her. Not far away ashore, Barbie and her sisters settle at a summer resort where they would meet Ken doing his marine biology internship at a research center close by. Little does he know that his marine biologist, Marlo, is after not only the caught green gemstone dolphin, but all of them, as well as the mermaid now named Isla so as to be self-enriched with money. Barbie realized this and has her sisters along with Ken free them from her traps. Barbie even went as far as disguising herself as Isla so she could instead get caught by Marlo and put her in her place. She re-unites with Isla at the end when she tries calling out to her via a necklace she made for Barbie during the film.
The film was dedicated to Canadian production editor David Hall; he and his pregnant wife were killed in a car accident a few months prior to the release of the film.[69][70]
Barbie: Princess Adventure (2020)
This 7th musical film and the first since Barbie in Rock 'N Royals as well as the 37th film entry overall follows on from the conclusion of the "Dreamhouse Adventures" TV series. It stars Barbie as a blogger who gets invited along with her friends by Princess Amelia to the kingdom of Floravia for a cultural exchange program. With Amelia nervous about becoming Queen, she and Barbie devise a plan to switch places. A rival prince tries to unravel their secret as Barbie and Amelia try to make the switch back before Amelia's coronation ceremony. During the film, Trey Reardon relished an opportunity to become the king of the kingdom, even making a song out of it with his sidekicks, "The Dudes".
Barbie & Chelsea: The Lost Birthday (2021)
This 38th entry stars Barbie's youngest sister, Chelsea, in a starring role for the first time and for the second time since the Barbie: Dreamtopia web-based franchise.
Barbie and her family get aboard a cruise liner to celebrate Chelsea's 7th birthday, which would be the following day. The liner ship late at night crosses the International Date Line to the west. The bell rings to wake the Roberts sisters up by morning and Chelsea bounces up and down with joy that her birthday is here, only for Skipper to check her phone and see that it is not her birthday. Both Stacie and Barbie confirmed it via their phones. Thinking that her birthday got skipped, Chelsea begins to distance herself from her sisters and runs off to the ship's tip-end where a talking parrot swoops in to tell her about a hidden magic jem on a nearby jungle island that could solve her problem. Loving the idea of an adventure, she sets off on a quest to find the gem and get her birthday back. She would however need the strength to hold her nerve against the native animals of the jungle – who would see her differently than what she thought – and make friends with them along the journey. When Chelsea's sisters learned of the possibility of her entering an island, let alone a jungle, they feared the worst could happen and set off to reunite with her.
Barbie: Big City, Big Dreams (2021)
This 39th film entry and the 8th musical film in the series stars Barbie who leaves her current home of Malibu, California and travel to New York City to join an elite performing arts program where she would meet another Barbie, but from Brooklyn. The two become fast friends and enjoy spending their time singing and exploring The Big Apple and all its splendor. The two find themselves in a competition for the top spot to sing a solo in Times Square, thanks to a strict father-manager who do anything for his daughter to get it instead. They will later discover later that a friendly competition is more about becoming one's best and sharing the spotlight.
Following this film is the second full-length streaming TV series in the Barbie media franchise, Barbie: It Takes Two, which released throughout 2022. It exposes the misadventures of the Barbie-named girls in New York City as they invoke attempt after attempt to sign record deals and get their music out to the world whiles learning about each other's families, friends and contrasting cultures.
Barbie: Mermaid Power (2022)
This 40th film entry stars Barbie "Malibu" Roberts, Barbie "Brooklyn" Roberts, Skipper, Stacie, and Chelsea as they turn into mermaids to help Isla (from Dolphin Magic) in the underwater world of Pacifica. The Barbies take part in a competition with 6 other mer-persons to be the power keeper, a mermaid who can protect their world with the power of the four elements (land, water, air and fire). Marlo also returns to continue her journey from where it left off from Dolphin Magic to seek proof that "mermaids are real" with the unsuccessful help of a male sidekick, Oslo.
Barbie: Epic Road Trip (2022)
This 41st film entry stars Barbie going on a cross-country trek with friends in this interactive special and makes big decisions about the future.
On October 21, 2022 (only four days before its official release), Mattel extended its partnership with Netflix and included the pre-2017 film catalogue previously held by Universal on the service.[58][59][60]
Barbie: Skipper and the Big Babysitting Adventure (2023)
This 42nd film entry stars Barbie's younger sister, Skipper, a touted babysitting expert, as she takes a summer job at a water park and tries out different first jobs with some new friends when her babysitting business hits a snag. She uses babysitting skills to save a nearly-collapsed birthday party at the park. The success renews Skipper's confidence in her babysitting business and she and her new friends start a babysitting squad.[71]
Barbie and Stacie to the Rescue (2024)
This 43rd and latest film entry, the film stars Stacie as the main protagonist. Barbie and her family come together to break into song as they attend a Hot Air Balloon Festival and make new friends.
Barbie and the Magic of Pegasus is a 2005 animated adventure film directed by Greg Richardson and produced by Mattel Entertainment with Mainframe Entertainment. It first premiered on Nickelodeon on September 18, 2005, and it was released later to VHS/DVD on September 20, 2005.
Barbie as the Princess and the Pauper is a 2004 animated musical fantasy film. It was released to video on September 28, 2004, and made its television premiere on Nickelodeon on November 14, 2004.
Barbie: Fairytopia is a 2005 animated fantasy film directed by Walter P. Martishius and William Lau and written by Elise Allen and Diane Duane that premiered on Nickelodeon in the United States on 6 March and was released on VHS and DVD two days later. It was distributed internationally through Universal Pictures Video and Entertainment Rights.
Barbie as Rapunzel is a 2002 animated fairy tale film co-produced by Mainframe Entertainment and Mattel Entertainment, and distributed by Artisan Home Entertainment.
Barbie in the Nutcracker is a 2001 animated fantasy film co-produced by Mainframe Entertainment and Mattel Entertainment, and distributed by Artisan Home Entertainment.
Barbie in the 12 Dancing Princesses is a 2006 animated dance film. It premiered on Nickelodeon on September 10, 2006, and it was later released to DVD on September 19.
Barbie & the Diamond Castle is a 2008 direct-to-video animated musical film directed by Gino Nichele and produced by Mattel Entertainment with Rainmaker Entertainment. It first premiered on Nickelodeon on September 7, 2008, and it was later released to DVD on September 9, 2008.
Beginning with the release of an eponymous video game in 1984, Barbie, a fashion doll manufactured by American toy and entertainment company Mattel and debuted on March 9, 1959, has been featured in a media franchise predominantly consisting of a film series and media formats across technologies like television and the Internet. Since then, it has become one of the highest-grossing media franchises of all time and has been referred to among fans as the "Barbie Cinematic Universe".
Barbie in a Mermaid Tale is a 2010 animated adventure film directed by Adam L. Wood and produced by Mattel Entertainment with Rainmaker Entertainment. It was released to DVD on March 9, 2010, and later made its television premiere on Nickelodeon on April 4, 2010. The seventeenth entry in the Barbie film series, it was followed by a 2012 sequel, Barbie in a Mermaid Tale 2. It revolves around Merliah Summers, a surfing champion who learns she is half-mermaid and sets out for an undersea adventure to rescue her mother, the queen of an ocean kingdom.
Barbie: A Fairy Secret is a 2011 animated fantasy film directed by William Lau and written by Elise Allen. Produced by Rainmaker Entertainment, it is the second film produced by Mattel Entertainment under the sales mark name of Barbie Entertainment. It was first released on DVD on March 15, 2011, and made its television premiere on Nickelodeon on April 17, 2011. The 19th entry in the Barbie film series, it features the voices of Diana Kaarina, who reprised her role as Barbie, and Adrian Petriw as Ken. The plot has a shared universe with Barbie: A Fashion Fairytale, where Barbie must team up with her frenemy Raquelle to save Ken from marrying a fairy princess and being trapped in a fairy world forever.
Barbie: Princess Charm School is a 2011 animated fantasy film directed by Zeke Norton and produced by Mattel Entertainment with Rainmaker Entertainment. It was released on DVD on September 13, 2011, and made its television debut on Nickelodeon two months later.
Barbie in a Mermaid Tale 2 is a 2012 animated fantasy film directed by William Lau and produced by Mattel Entertainment with Rainmaker Entertainment. It was first released to DVD on February 27, 2012, and later made its television debut on Nickelodeon on March 25, 2012. The twenty-second entry in the Barbie film series, it is a sequel to Barbie in A Mermaid Tale and marks the return of Kelly Sheridan as the voice of Barbie. The plot follows the story of Merliah Summers who travels to Australia for the ultimate surfing competition. But when an evil mermaid schemes to take over the ocean kingdom, she finds herself racing the clock to save the merfolk and stop Eris's ambition later finish the big surfing competition.
Barbie and the Secret Door is a 2014 animated musical fantasy film. It was released to DVD on September 16, 2014, and made its television debut on Nickelodeon on November 23, 2014.
Barbie: Star Light Adventure is a 2016 animated adventure children's film directed by Andrew Tan and written by Kacey Arnold with assistance by Kate Boutilier and story supervision by Kristopher Fogel. The 33rd entry in the Barbie film series, it was also the first Barbie film under Mattel's then-new division, Mattel Creations, and also to feature the fashion doll's brand message sequence as part of the film's intro. The film was first given a 24-hour limited theatrical release by Fathom Events on 30 July before its debut both on home video by Universal Pictures Home Entertainment on 29 August and on American television via Nickelodeon on 2 October. Mattel released related merchandise in addition to the film.
Barbie Dolphin Magic or Barbie: Dolphin Magic is a 2017 animated adventure television film directed by Conrad Helten and written by Jennifer Skelly.
Mattel Films is the film production division of Mattel originally formed on October 16, 2013, as Mattel Playground Productions as part of Mattel Global Brands, a unified media structural and strategy unit.
Mattel Television Studios is the television production division of American toy and entertainment company Mattel, originally founded on March 31, 2016 as the successor to Mattel's earlier entertainment division, Mattel Playground Productions, under the name Mattel Creations.
Barbie: Mermaid Power or Barbie Mermaid Power is a 2022 animated musical adventure comedy children's television film directed by Emory Ronald "Ron" Myrick and written by Ann Austen.
References
↑ Netherby, Jennifer (5 November 2001). "Best animated video premiere movie: Barbie in the Nutcracker". Video Business. Vol.21, no.45. p.32. ProQuest223911919.
↑ Schiller, Gail (2 August 2007). "Barbie, Hot Wheels, G.I. Joe toying with Hollywood". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 30 January 2022. Retrieved 2 February 2022. But it wasn't until 2001 that Mattel started to get into productions of their own, mostly with direct-to-DVD content. Mattel launched its own in-house entertainment division that year and since then has sold 40 million copies of 10 Barbie DVD and VHS titles, generating more than $700 million in revenue.
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