Mattel launches ‘Weird Barbie’ doll based on Kate McKinnon’s character in the movie

Mattel has launched its own Weird Barbie doll based on Kate McKinnon’s character in Barbie.

On Friday 4 August, the entertainment company announced that the toy was eligible for pre-order as part of the brand’s “Barbie Signature” collection. The doll comes with the same outfit and appearance as McKinnon’s character, with bleach blonde hair and multi-coloured highlights. She also has a circle around her eye and colourful squiggly lines on her forehead.

“Our doll version wears an outfit inspired by one you’ll see in the feature film, a bright pink dress with colourful artwork and puffy sleeves, and green snakeskin boots,” the description for the Weird Barbie reads. “She also features short tousled hair and markings on her face to emulate a doll that’s been played with just a little too much.”

The Weird Barbie doll can also mimic some of the funny arm and hand gestures that McKinnon did in the film, as well as the ability to do splits - just like the Barbie character did.

According to Mattel, the Weird Barbie doll can be ordered from 4 August to 18 August, with the item expected to ship on or before 31 May 2024.

Regardless of how flexible her character was in the movie, McKinnon has shared that wasn’t necessarily the case for her. While appearing on Entertainment Weekly’s “Around the Table” last month alongside the Barbie cast, she noted that although Weird Barbie can do body splits and cartwheels, she cannot.

“No, I didn’t have to do a split, which is just as well. Can’t do that. So that was a fake leg, and a heavy one,” she said, referring to the split her character did when introducing herself to Stereotypical Barbie, played by Margot Robbie.

During the roundtable, she also opened up about her character’s iconic appearance, saying that “every square millimeter was so finely considered”.

“There was so much philosophy and thought behind it,” the former Saturday Night Live cast member said, while the movie’s hair and makeup artist Ivana Primorac added: “We talked a lot about what this sort of Barbie who had been played with and burned and drawn on would look like.”

Describing how she created her look for Barbie, McKinnon said: “I just pulled a bunch of pictures off the internet. I think I typed in, like, ‘effed up doll.”

After McKinnon and the movie’s costume designer, Jacqueline Durran, came up with an outfit for Weird Barbie, the actor said that director Greta Gerwig reminded them of one rule: “Nothing is dirty.”

“There’s no dirt,” McKinnon said to the filmmaker. “I thought I was in rags or something and you were like, ‘No, it’s elevated. Not in doll world.’ And I was like, ‘You’re so right.’”