Cultural icon Barbie has populated every toy shop since the 1960s, recently experiencing a resurgence in popularity due to the ‘Barbenheimer’ phenomenon of 2023 – but what dark secrets hide in her creation?
Portrayed by Matilda’s Rhea Perlman in the record-breaking Barbie movie last year, Ruth Handler was the creator and mind behind the Barbie brand. While many will know the story of Ruth’s creation of Barbie – she saw a German doll whilst on holiday and worked with designer Jack Ryan (also behind Hot Wheels) to create a version for American audiences – many will be unaware of the tales of betrayal and debauchery which lie behind the world’s most famous doll.
The documentary is told through the words of people who knew Handler and Ryan, including Ryan’s daughter Ann, friends of Handler, and former Mattel employees including CEO Tom Kalinske.
As the focus turns to modern day, the impact of Handler’s creation is assessed by speaking to ‘human Barbie Doll’ Marcela Iglesias, the world’s most prolific Barbie collector Bettinna Dorfmann, and Sandi Greyson, who holds the Guinness World Record for the most money spent on a single doll.
Jack Oliver, Head of Co-Productions at Sky, says: “I was instantly intrigued to learn that Barbie’s biographical story was loaded with jealousy, betrayal, sex, drugs and rock’n’roll. Barbie survived all that to become one of the most iconic success stories of the 20th Century.
“Working with Eddie Hutton Mills and the teams at Two Rivers and Abacus Media Rights to bring this documentary to life has been pleasure, we know audiences will love it and we’re delighted to be launching the true story behind Barbie’s squeaky-clean image on Sky Documentaries.”
Barbie Uncovered currently has no release date set but will air on Sky Documentaries.
