Oscar cliffhanger: Will ‘Barbie’ sweep the design categories?

“Barbie” is receiving plaudits from critics, audiences, and the box office. The film has smashed several records as it hauled in a total of $155 million in its opening weekend, the largest number ever for a film directed by a woman — the wonderful Greta Gerwig.

But while Gerwig, co-writer Noah Baumbach, and a cast led by Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling will undoubtedly take up all the plaudits, let’s take a moment to appreciate the incredible design work on display in both the sets and the costumes as well as the hair and makeup. Our odds charts for these categories aren’t up yet but, once they are, expect “Barbie” to be right at the top of the list as the movie looks to dominate the design awards. Here’s the rundown.

Best Production Design
Sarah Greenwood and set decorators Katie Spencer and Ashley Swanson

The sets in this movie are nothing short of spectacular. The film used so much pink that the world had a pink paint shortage at one point and, once you see the movie, you realize just how well that pink was put to use. Barbie Land is a feast for the eyes — from the dream house to the car to the beach and everything in between. There are movie lovers’ Easter eggs, such as a pink-bricked road referencing the yellow-bricked road from “The Wizard of Oz” while the empty mirror, the milk carton, and the fridge with a 2D interior are just three examples of how smart and witty the design is. The sets are also crucial to the story, which helps — “Parasite” landed an Oscar nomination for Best Production Design thanks to the creation of the house, which is almost a character in and of itself.

The production design also feels similar to a number of styles that voters like to nominate for this category. Like “Elvis” (nominee in 2023), the designs are colorful and eccentric. Like “Mank” (winner in 2021), they are full of delightful practical effects that you can see are real and not CGI. Like “Black Panther” (winner in 2019), Greenwood and company create and design an entire fictional world. And like “La La Land” (winner in 2017), the sets present an other-worldly depiction of contemporary life. In short, the sets are a delight to behold and are one of many reasons the film will undoubtedly get repeat viewers at the cinema. Longtime collaborators Greenwood and Spencer have both been nominated for six Oscars together: “Pride & Prejudice” in 2006, “Atonement” in 2008, “Sherlock Holmes” in 2010, “Anna Karenina” in 2013, and “Beauty and the Beast” and “Darkest Hour” in 2018. Swanson is hoping for her first Oscar bid.

Best Costume Design
Jacqueline Durran

Durran is a legend. The two-time Oscar winner is in hot-pink form here with every single one of Barbie and Ken’s outfits knocking it out of the park. Barbie’s cowgirl outfit, Ken’s Kendom fur coat, and the rollerblade outfits are just three of the many, many standout costumes that will inspire a multitude of Halloween costumes this year. You can even buy the Kenough hoodie from Mattel Creations but, sadly, they do not ship to those of those in the UK, otherwise, I would be typing this while wearing that hoodie.

Like the production design, the costuming also fits a number of Oscar patterns. Like “Black Panther” (winner in 2019), “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” (winner in 2023), “Cruella” (winner in 2021), and “Mulan” and “Pinocchio” (nominees in 2020), the costumes bring to life beloved fictional characters. Like “Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris” (nominee in 2023), “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” (nominee in 2020), and “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” (winner in 2017), the film presents a multicolored menagerie of costumes. Like “Elvis” (nominee in 2023), “West Side Story” (nominee in 2022), “Beauty and the Beast” (nominee in 2018), and “La La Land (nominee in 2017), “Barbie” is a musical or music inspired film full of great costumes. Plus, Barbie might not be a real person but she is still an iconic figure. Lots of designers have been nominated for bringing to life iconic figures such as “Elvis,” “Cruella,” and “Joker” (nominee in 2020).

Durran will be hoping to add to her illustrious Oscars history. She won for “Anna Karenina” in 2013 and “Little Women,” in which she also worked with “Barbie” director Gerwig, in 2020. She was also nominated for the following movies: “Pride & Prejudice” in 2006, “Atonement” in 2008, “Mr. Turner” in 2015, “Darkest Hour” and “Beauty and the Beast in 2018, and “Cyrano” in 2022. We fully expect Durran to pick up her ninth Oscar nomination in total and maybe even her third win.

Best Makeup and Hairstyling 
TBD

It’s unclear who exactly will be on the ballot for this category but the work here is admirable. The multiple hairstylings of Robbie’s Barbie alone are wonderful to look at while, frankly put, Gosling’s bleach blonde do is a work of art. This category is usually filled with movies that use prosthetics but other movies often get in, too, such as “Cruella” and “House of Gucci” (nominees in 2022), “Mank” (nominee in 2021), and “Joker” (nominee in 2020). “Barbie” will look to go the way of these movies.

Interestingly, there is a direct correlation between Makeup and Hairstyling and Costume Design. Earlier this year, “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” and “Elvis” were nominated for both with “Wakanda Forever” winning Costume Design (“The Whale” won Makeup and Hairstyling). “Dune” and “Cruella” were nominated in both categories in 2022 with “Cruella” winning for its costumes and “The Eyes of Tammy Faye” taking home Makeup and Hairstyling. “Pinocchio,” Mank,” “Emma,” and “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” were all nominated in both categories in 2021 with the latter film winning both. “Barbie” could follow suit.

“Barbie” has a fantastic chance at landing nominations for both Production Design and Costume Design while it has a healthy chance of Makeup and Hairstyling bid. The film could, in theory, be nominated for all three — which is not an uncommon trio of nominations at the Oscars. In fact, in each of the last three years, one film has been nominated for all three. Earlier this year, “Elvis” achieved that but didn’t win any of them. In 2022, “Dune” repeated the feat and won for Production Design. And in 2021, “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” completed the trifecta and won for Costume Design and Makeup and Hairstyling. “Barbie” could follow suit. Let’s see.

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