The 44 original Barbie animated films can be categorised into four main eras. The Classic era (2001-2009), primarily focused on elements of historical fantasy and fairytale fantasy – adapting pre-existing fairytales before experimenting with original storylines, notably the Barbie: Fairytopia trilogy. The Fashion era (2010-2015) primarily focused on elements of urban fantasy, incorporating fashion, pop music and Barbie's family and friends. The Modern era (2015-2017) was defined by the exclusive use of Barbie as herself, rather than 'playing' another character. The films focused on the various careers of Barbie. The Dreamhouse era (2017-present) are integrated into the canon of the inaugural Barbie television show, Barbie: Dreamhouse Adventures. Alongside the Modern era, there was a departure from the heavy use of fantasy and magic in the direction of the films.
In 2023, the live-action film Barbie was theatrically released starring celebrity actors Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling. It became the highest-grossing film of 2023 and spawned the cultural phenomenon "Barbieheimer". Due to its success, Mattel has partnered with Illumination to develop and release an untitled animated Barbie film in theatres.
Classic era (2001–2009)
Mattel launched its eponymous in-house entertainment division in 2001 and began the Barbie film series by adapting pre-existing classical ballets and fairytales. The films in this era primarily relied on elements of historical fantasy and fairytale fantasy. Elise Allen introduced original storylines to the series with the Barbie: Fairytopia trilogy. Each Barbie film came with a moral, presented in the form of a quote during the end credits.
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.[5] 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.[6][7] The direct-to-video releases were accompanied by television premiers (from 2002) on Nickelodeon.[8]
Based on The Nutcracker and the Mouse King by E. T. A. Hoffmann and The Nutcracker by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, the inaugural film in the series stars Barbie narrating to her younger sister, Kelly, a story about a young girl named Clara who gets a beautiful wooden nutcracker from her aunt Elizabeth as a Christmas gift. Later that night, the toy comes alive to protect Clara from the evil Mouse King's soldiers. Clara gets shrunk to toy size, and, along with her brave Nutcracker, she searches for the Sugarplum Princess to reverse the spell.
Barbie in the Nutcracker won the Video Premiere Award for Best Animated Video Premiere Movie.[25]
“Love and imagination can change the world.”- End credits quote
Based on the German fairy tale Rapunzel, recorded by the Brothers Grimm, the film stars Barbie as Princess Rapunzel, who is trapped in a tall tower by an evil witch named Gothel. Hidden from the outside world, Rapunzel spends much of her day painting and dreaming of a happier life. After discovering a magic paintbrush, Rapunzel goes on a journey with her friends Penelope the dragon and Hobie the rabbit to uncover the truth about her origins.
At the 2002 DVD Exclusive Awards, Barbie as Rapunzel won awards "Best Original Score" (Arnie Roth), and "Best Animated Character Performance" for Gothel (Anjelica Huston, Gino Nichele, Sebastian Brodin, Jean Gillmore, Sean Newton).[26]
“You’re braver than you think.”- End credits quote
Based on Swan Lake by Pyotr Illyich Tchaikovsky, the film stars Barbie as Odette, a young daughter of a baker, who one day follows a unicorn named Lila into an enchanted forest. After being transformed 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 of Swan Lake won three awards at the Video Software Dealers Association Home Entertainment Awards 2004 – "Best Direct-to-Video/Limited Release from an Independent Studio", "Best Family Title of the Year From an Independent Studio", and "Sellthrough Title of the Year From an Independent Studio"[27][28]
Based on the classic novel by Mark Twain and the first musical in the series, the film stars Barbie in the dual role of blonde Princess Anneliese and brunette commoner Erika. The two 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 of the films.
“What makes you different makes you special.”- End credits quote
The first original Barbie film starring 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 the dark fairy Laverna. Elina sets off to save her meadow and her friends by tracking down Azura the Guardian fairy.
This film was released in the spring, breaking the one-film-per-year fall release cycle of the previous films.
The second original film in the series, starring Barbie as talented ice skater 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.
The sequel to Barbie: Fairytopia. Prince Nalu has been kidnapped by Laverna's henchmen to learn the whereabouts of a special berry that will make Laverna the most powerful fairy in Fairytopia. Elina must work together with Nori, a headstrong mermaid who does not trust outsiders, to save Nalu.
The first film to star Barbie as herself. The Barbie Diaries is set apart with its distinctive toon-shaded style and modern setting. Barbie and her friends are sophomores in high school. With the help of a magical diary and charm bracelet, Barbie gains the confidence to be herself. Follow Barbie as she encounters love, magic, and true friendship.
“There’s a difference only you can make.” - End credits quote
Based on The Twelve Dancing Princesses, a German fairy tale recorded by the Brothers Grimm. It tells the story of a widowed King Randolph and his 12 daughters, including 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.
The third and final film in the Barbie: Fairytopia trilogy. The film follows Elina, who is chosen to attend fairy school at the Crystal Palace as an apprentice of the Guardian fairy Azura. Elina and the six other apprentices will prepare for the annual spring ritual, the "Flight of Spring", that produces the first rainbow of the season. The antagonist of the series, Laverna, is planning to stop the rite and plunge Fairytopia into ten years of winter. Elina must work together with the apprentices to defeat Laverna and save Fairytopia.
The last Barbie film produced by Mainframe under the Mainframe Entertainment name. In 2007, Barbie Fairytopia: Magic of the Rainbow won the Leo Awards for "Best Animation Program or Series" awarded to producers Luke Carroll and Tiffany Shuttleworth; and "Best Overall Sound in an Animation Program or Series" awarded to Peter Eliuk, Pat Haskill, Christine McLeod, Maureen Murphy, and Gordon Sproule.[29]
“There may be miracles awaiting,They may be closer than we know, When we have love to guide us as we go.” - End credits quote
The second musical in the series, the film 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, arrive on the island and meet Rosella, who is known as Ro, and her animal friends. Together, they return to civilisation and uncover the mystery behind Rosella's past.
This was the only film to be produced by Mainframe Studios under the Rainmaker Animation name following the Rainmaker Income Fund acquisition.
“The most beautiful thing you can be is yourself.”- End credits quote
A spin-off from the Barbie: Fairytopia trilogy. Elina narrates a story about a fairy named Mariposa, who lives in a distant kingdom in Fairytopia known as Flutterfield. Flutterfield 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 unknown territory to find a cure and save the kingdom.
Barbie: Mariposa, was the first film to be produced by Mainframe Studios under the Rainmaker Entertainment name.
“Friendship is the true treasure.”- End credits quote
The original musical film stars Barbie and her best friend Teresa as Liana and Alexa, two florists who live in a cottage. After finding a muse named Melody trapped in a mirror, they embark on a journey to restore the Diamond Castle, before Lydia, a witch who has betrayed the muses, takes the castle for herself.
“Keep the beauty of Christmas in your heart every day of the year.”- End credits quote
An adaption of the 1844 novella by Charles Dickens, Barbie tells her sister Kelly a story of an opera singer named Eden Starling with a hatred of Christmas. This would all change the night Eden is visited by three Christmas spirits – Christmas Past, Christmas Present and Christmas Future. Eden only discovers the true meaning of Christmas.
Nikki appears for the inaugural time a Barbie film. This film would feature the last appearance of Barbie's younger sister under the name Kelly as Mattel would change her name to Chelsea in 2011. 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.
“Even the smallest person can make a big difference.”- End credits quote
Based on Thumbelina by Hans Christian Andersen the film stars Barbie as Thumbelina, who must work together with her friends to save the environment. The magical group of Twillerbees are one with nature and have amazing abilities to help plants and flowers flourish. Along with a young girl named Makena, Thumbelina must stop a construction company who is threatening the Twillerbee's land.
“True courage is pursuing your dream, even when everyone else says it’s impossible.”- End credits quote
Based on the 1844 French tale The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas, this film 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 become musketeers. Corinne and three scullery maids, Viveca, Aramina, and Renée 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 Corinne.
The last Barbie film in the Classic era, Barbie and the Three Musketeers was also the first film in the series to depict the original debut Barbie wordmark logo, and the final Barbie film to be distributed by Lionsgate.
Fashion era (2010–2015)
The Fashion era is categorised with switch towards modernised settings and plots involving fashion, music and Barbie's family and friends. The films featured original pop music.
Animation
The majority of the Fashion era films were animated by Mainframe Studios under the Rainmaker Entertainment name. Technicolor partnered with Mattel on 2 of the films, as Arc Productions did, 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. The character design became more abstract. The Classic era character design resembled Barbie dolls, the Fashion era saw the facial proportions change, particularly the eyes became bigger, which reflected the character design seen in Disney productions Tangled and Frozen which were popular during this time.
Voice actors
Diana Kaarina voices Barbie in the films A Fashion Fairytale, A Fairy Secret, Princess Charm School, and A Perfect Christmas, before the return of Kelly Sheridan.
Distribution
Mattel reorganized and swapped the "Mattel Entertainment" banner in favor of "Barbie Entertainment" to reflect a shift in strategy for the Barbie films, 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.
“What makes you different just might be your greatest strength.”- End credits quote
The Fashion era begins with the 17th film entry, Barbie in a Mermaid Tale. The film stars Barbie as Merliah Summers, a surfer who lives with her grandfather in Malibu, California. 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 must save the kingdom and her mother Calissa.
This was the last Barbie film under the "Mattel Entertainment" banner.
“Magic happens when you believe in yourself.”- End credits quote
Barbie: A Fashion Fairytale stars Barbie as herself. Barbie jets off to Paris to visit her Aunt Millicent, after being fired from a film role in California. Barbie discovers her Aunt Millicent's fashion emporium is on the brink of closure, and sets out to save it with Millicent's assistant, Alice and the in-house mythical "flairies", Shimmer, Glimmer and Shyne.
Diana Kaarina makes her series debut as Barbie, marking the first film in the series where Barbie is not voiced by Kelly Sheridan. This was also the first title under the "Barbie Entertainment" banner. The film features Ken in his Barbie film debut and the return of Raquel from The Barbie Diaries and Teresa from Barbie & the Diamond Castle.
When Ken is stolen by a group of fairies, Barbie and Raquelle discover Barbie's stylists Carrie and Taylor are secretly fairies. The four set off to Gloss Angeles, a secret fairy kingdom, to rescue Ken. Along the way, they face challenges and discover fairy magic but most of all they find the power of friendship.
The film stars Barbie, Ken, and Raquelle, with the latter gaining more screen time than in previous films.
“There’s a princess in every girl.”- End credits quote
Barbie portrays Blair Willows, a kind and generous young waitress living with her adoptive mother and foster sister 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. Dame Devin wishes to ensure her daughter, Delancy, receives the crown. Blair finds support in her friends, Hadley and Isla, who must find an enchanted crown to prove Blair's true identity.
Barbie: A Perfect Christmas (2011)
“Being together is what makes a perfect Christmas.”- End credits quote
The third Barbie Christmas film. It 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. Along the journey, unforeseen complications pop up, and the sisters find themselves stuck in Rochester, Minnesota where they come across the festive hotel The Tannenbaum Inn. Their trip takes a musical turn in the picturesque snow-covered mountains.
“It feels good to be part of something bigger than yourself.”- End credits quote
The sequel to Barbie in A Mermaid Tale follows the return of Barbie as surfer-mermaid, Merliah Summers, to Australia to compete in a surfing competition. While Merliah is away from Oceana, a mermaid with evil intentions named Eris returns to attempt to take over the throne. Merliah and her friends are pushed to the limit as her love for both worlds are challenged.
“There’s a star that’s right inside you,So come on and let it out, Find out what you’re about and just shout Here I am” - End credits quote
The second Barbie film adaptation of Mark Twain's "The Prince and the Pauper", this time with a modern twist, stars Barbie as the dual roles of Princess Tori of Meribella and world-famous popstar Keira. The two teenagers meet and discover they both have the magic to swap places.
The film also stars Barbie sisters; Stacie as Meredith Renee and Chelsea as Trevi Renee.
Barbie in the Pink Shoes (2013)
“Listen to the beat of your heart and keep on dancing.” - End credits quote
Barbie in the Pink Shoes stars Barbie as a ballet dancer Kristyn and her friend Hayley, who are aspiring ballet dancers. A pair of magical pink shoes whisk them away to a mystical world. Kristyn learns must defeat the Snow Queen by dancing her favorite ballets, Giselle and Swan Lake.
This is the last Barbie movie to feature or be based upon fairy tales, ballet, plays, or classic literature. 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 best way to make a friend is to be a friend.”- End credits quote
The sequel to Barbie: Mariposa and the second of 2 spin-offs of the Barbie: Fairytopia trilogy. Mariposa is sent by 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 to destroy Shimmervale by turning their crystals into rocks. Mariposa and Princess Catania must rely on their new friendship to save Shimmervale and make peace between the kingdoms.
Barbie & Her Sisters in A Pony Tale (2013)
“If you love something, set it free.”- End credits quote
Starring Barbie and her sisters Skipper, Stacie, and Chelsea, as they set off to Switzerland for a summer horseback riding adventure. Barbie sets out to find a horse 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. When Barbie discovers a mysterious wild horse in the woods, their visit takes a magical turn.
Barbie: The Pearl Princess (2014)
“Always leave things better than you found them.”- End credits quote
Barbie stars as Lumina, a mermaid who dreams of being a princess. As long as she can remember, she's had a magical power that makes pearls dance and glow. Lumina and her best friend Kuda, a pink seahorse, embark on an adventure to a majestic mer-kingdom. There, she uses her powers to help her friends prepare for the Royal Ball. Lumina then discovers that her magical pearls are the key to unlocking her true destiny and ultimately saving the kingdom. - Official description
The final film under the "Barbie Entertainment" banner.
“You never know what you can do unless you try.”- End credits quote
The film stars Barbie as Princess Alexa. She finds a secret door after singing in the royal garden. It leads her into a magical new world, a kingdom named Zinnia. Alexa encounters a fairy named Nori and a mermaid named Romy. They must save the land from the evil Princess Malucia, who is trying to steal all of the kingdom's magic.
This is the first Barbie film under the "Mattel Playground Productions" banner.
Barbie in Princess Power (2015)
“The power to change the world has been inside you all along.”- End credits quote
Starring Barbie as a Princess Kara, a modern-day princess who wishes to trade her royal duties to help people in the community. After being kissed by a magical butterfly, Princess Kara imbued with super powers and begins saving people under the alias "Super Sparkle". Her jealous cousin Princess Corinne is also kissed by the butterfly and becomes "Dark Sparkle", to challenge her and gain the affection of the people of Windimere. however, when the two cousins discover a plot against the kingdom, they must work together to save the kingdom.
Barbie in Rock 'N Royals (2015)
“Rock your own story.”- End credits quote
The third Barbie film based on Mark Twain's The Prince and the Pauper, 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 swap camps – with the princess landing in Camp Pop and the rock star landing in Camp Royalty. The two swap places to save both camps from destruction.
This is the last movie to feature protagonists not named Barbie.
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.[44][45][46] The 4th entry, titled Barbie & Her Sisters in A Puppy Chase, would be brought over to Rainmaker Entertainment for completion.
Distribution
Mattel would retire the Mattel Playground Productions banner in mid-2016 in favor of their then-new banner Mattel Creations, which was created on 31 March that year.
Barbie & Her Sisters in The Great Puppy Adventure (2015)
The 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. It follows Barbie, her sisters, and their Grandma's dog's puppies as they embark on a treasure hunt.
Barbie: Spy Squad (2016)
The 32nd film entry is about ordinary friends working together to achieve the unexpected, and stars Barbie, Teresa, and a new character, Renée, 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.
The 33rd film entry is 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.[44][45][46] 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)
The 34th entry is about teamwork and 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. When they explore a nearby Dancing Horse Festival, the girls get separated from their puppies and must find them before the big dance.
Barbie: Video Game Hero (2017)
The 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.
Dreamhouse era (2017–present)
The films in the Dreamhouse era follow the events before and after the television show, Barbie: Dreamhouse Adventures.
Animation
Rainmaker Studios animated only one film before rebranding to Mainframe Studios.[52]
Distribution
From 2017 onward, 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.[53] 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 catalog previously held by Universal made available through the service.[54][55][56][57]
The 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.[58] It is also the first television film with a reduced 1-hour length in duration which Mattel would use in future mainstream Barbie film releases in a transition to streaming media.
The film was dedicated to Canadian production editor David Hall; he and his pregnant wife were killed in a car accident a few months before the release of the film.[67][68]
The 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 "Barbie: 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".
The 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.
The 39th film entry and the 8th musical film in the series stars Barbie who leaves her 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.
The 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-people to be the power keeper, a mermaid who can protect their world with the power of the four elements (Earth, 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.
The 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.[54][55][56]
Barbie: Skipper and the Big Babysitting Adventure (2023)
The 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.[69]
Barbie and Stacie to the Rescue (2024)
The 43rd film entry 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.
The 44th and latest film entry stars Barbie's Hispanic best friend, Teresa, as the lead star. The Barbie-named girls from Malibu, Brooklyn, and Nikki help Teresa re-create a cherished family tamale recipe for the launch of her cousin's New York City restaurant. At the side events within New York City, "Brooklyn" Barbie helps her best friend Emmie come up with a "hit" theme song for its grand opening song number in Times Square.
Upcoming animated theatrical feature film
News broke from inside sources on 16 August 2024, following the success of the live-action film, that Mattel is planning a theatrically released animated Barbie film, with Illumination from Universal Pictures as a potential production partner. The director and lead star of 2023 live-action Barbie film, Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie, were said not to be involved.[70][71]
The project was confirmed to have entered development on July 17, 2025. A release date, voice cast, and plot details have yet to be announced.[72][73][74]
↑ 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.
↑ "Home Entertainment Award Winners Announced by the Video Software Dealers Association; Home Entertainment Industry Honors the Best of the Year". Business Wire. 14 July 2004. GaleA119280537.
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