VOD News | On 12, Oct 2023

Netflix and Shondaland have nabbed Black Barbie: A Documentary, following its debut at SXSW.

Directed by Lagueria Davis, Black Barbie celebrates the momentous impact three Black women at Mattel had on the evolution of the Barbie brand as we know it. Through these charismatic insiders’ stories, the documentary tells the story of how the first Black Barbie came to be in 1980, examining the importance of representation and how dolls can be crucial to the formation of identity and imagination.

After a previous cut of the film premiered at the festival, Netflix and Shondaland have acquired the project, with Shonda Rhimes and Betsy Beers exex-producing as part of their overall deal with Netflix. The project’s producers include Aaliyah Williams for Just A Rebel and Lagueria Davis for Lovely Day Films.

Lagueria Davis says: “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.”

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