Mattel Goes to the Movies — And Bets Big on Barbie

There’s a lot riding on Mattel’s $100 million Barbie movie. Greta Gerwig’s film, a comedic, feminist, PG-13 take on Barbie, will be the first release in chief executive Ynon Kreiz’s new “IP strategy,” and its most consequential—the dolls are Mattel’s crown jewel, driving about a third of its $5 billion in annual sales. Can Barbie help prove a 64-year-old doll is still relevant?