Greta Gerwig's Barbie film causes global supply shortage of pink paint

The global supply of pink paint faced a shortage after the work to build a set for Greta Gerwig's highly anticipated Barbie film has begun that required such a staggering amount of fluorescent pink paint causing a depletion of a renowned company's entire global supply.

The ambitious project, featuring Margot Robbie as Barbie and Ryan Gosling as Ken, will be released in this month.

Speaking to Architectural Digest, Gerwig and the film's production designer, Sarah Greenwood, revealed the extraordinary efforts undertaken to bring the fantastical world of Barbieland to life.

From the iconic "Dreamhouse" to the meticulously designed roads and lamp-posts, the entire set was bathed in vivid pink hues, aiming to capture the essence of Barbie's vibrant world.

Greenwood, a distinguished six-time Oscar nominee, disclosed in the interview that the film had caused an unprecedented international scarcity of pink paint. "The world ran out of pink," she exclaimed, underscoring the magnitude of the production's impact on the paint industry.

While initial reports fuelled speculation about the film single-handedly depleting global pink paint supplies, Lauren Proud, vice-president of global marketing at Rosco, the paint company involved in the film's production, provided additional context to the Los Angeles Times.

Proud acknowledged that the production had indeed utilized all the pink paint available, but emphasized the concurrent challenges posed by Covid-19-related supply chain disruptions and the extreme weather conditions experienced in Texas earlier this year, affecting the procurement of vital materials for paint production.

Proud clarified, "There was this shortage, and then we gave them everything we could – I don't know if they can claim credit." However, she conceded, "They did clean us out on paint," highlighting the sheer volume required by Gerwig's vision.

Drawing inspiration from various sources such as the Kaufmann House in Palm Springs, Wayne Thiebaud paintings, Pee-wee's Big Adventure, and an American in Paris, Gerwig aimed to evoke nostalgia and capture the essence of what made Barbie beloved by generations of children.

In addition to Robbie and Gosling, the star-studded cast of Barbie features Will Ferrell, Simu Liu, Dua Lipa, Helen Mirren, Issa Rae, America Ferrera, Kate McKinnon, Michael Cera, and Ncuti Gatwa, adding further anticipation to what promises to be a memorable and visually stunning film.