What Is the Documentary About & Is It a New Movie?

The upcoming Black Barbie documentary on Netflix has intrigued many fans during the ongoing Barbie fever. But what does it focus on? Is it related to Margot Robbie’s Barbie movie in any way? Here’s all you need to know about it.

What is the Black Barbie documentary about?

The Black Barbie documentary explores a very important moment in the history of Mattel and highlights the Black women who helped the brand.

The documentary isn’t related to Robbie’s Barbie movie. Instead, it focuses on the kind of impact that three black women — Beulah Mae Mitchell, Kitty Black Perkins, and Stacey McBride Irby — had on Mattel. Their efforts led to the successful launch of Black Barbie in 1980. The documentary will reveal their story through a series of charismatic retellings and insider interviews.

We’d find out exactly what happened at Mattel and how Beulah Mae Mitchell’s simple statement, “Why not make a Barbie that looks like me?”, led to Barbie becoming a symbol of representation. 

Is Black Barbie on Netflix a new movie?

Yes, Black Barbie on Netflix is a new documentary movie.

Netflix and Shondaland’s Black Barbie documentary movie is directed by Lagueria Davis. The director said in a statement:

“Telling Black Barbie’s story has been such a personal journey and it warms my heart to celebrate the legacy of my aunt Beulah Mae Mitchell, Kitty Black Perkins, and Stacey McBride Irby in our film. We couldn’t have asked for better collaborators than Shondaland and Netflix to bring this story to the world.”

The upcoming documentary features Kitty Black Perkins, Brylee Hsu, Ashley Blaine Featherson-Jenkins, and Julissa Calderon, among others.

Meanwhile, the list of executive producers includes: Betsy Beers and Shonda Rhimes for Shondaland, Camilla Hall for Lady & Bird Films, Sumalee Montano and Grace Lay for LinLay Productions, and the likes of Jyoti Sarda and Milan Chakraborty.

For more Barbie-based updates, here’s how to buy new Nike Barbie shoes. Also, check out where you can buy Weird Barbie.