The trailer introduces Barbie – Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling as Ken, along with a host of other Barbies and Kens who inhabit candy Barbieland. While fans loved the trailer, there was one thing they felt was just not right. Many were disappointed that Aqua’s blockbuster Barbie Girl wasn’t used in the trailer. Now, a new YouTube montage from HYTT Films has “fixed” it by posting their version of the Barbie movie trailer with the iconic song. Well, we have to admit – it’s fantastic!
Fan reaction to the edit was very positive. Some of them even claim that this is the version they have been waiting for and should be treated as official. However, viewers who are hoping to get a real-life trailer featuring Barbie Girl , or that the song will somehow end up in the movie, may be very disappointed. For the song’s 25th anniversary in 2022, Aqua’s Lene Nystrøm revealed in an interview with Variety that the song would not be used in the soundtrack, although the group expected the film’s producers to reference it somehow.
In September 1997 — just six months after the song’s release — Mattel sued MCA Records, North American label Aqua, claiming that Barbie Girl infringed the company’s trademark. The lawsuit also claimed that the song turned Barbie into a sex object with its lyrics, which ruined the doll’s popularity and the company’s reputation. There were also claims that the song violated Mattel’s marketing plan. The lawsuit was dismissed by a lower court. In 2002, the Court of Appeals finally ruled that the song is protected by the First Amendment as a parody.
While Mattel eventually used Barbie Girl – albeit with modified lyrics – in commercials and promotions in 2009, it’s possible that the previous lawsuit and controversy influenced the decision not to include her in the upcoming film. The song is iconic, but may not fit the overall vibe of the film.
