The Big Picture
- Kathryn Newton wanted to work with Greta Gerwig after seeing Frances Ha and landed a small role in Lady Bird.
- Newton wanted to be a part of Gerwig's Barbie movie and even sent the director pictures of her in costume.
- Newton stars in Lisa Frankenstein, which is in theaters on February 9, 2024.
Kathryn Newton is about to hit the big screen once more in next week's Lisa Frankenstein. It's the kind of role the actor has been building towards after parts in films like Freaky, Lady Bird,and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, but there's one project she laments missing out on, and that's last year's biggest movie, Barbie, helmed by her Lady Bird director, Greta Gerwig. Speaking with Collider's Perri Nemiroff on an episode of Collider Ladies Night, Newton was asked about her time collaborating with Gerwig, and revealed that she had been obsessed with Gerwig for some time and asked in desperation for a part in Lady Bird after seeing Frances Ha.
"I'm really lucky to have been in that movie. I love Greta Gerwig so much," said Newton. "I was a big fan of her, though. When I saw Frances Ha, I saw it in theaters, and I went back, and I was with my best friend, and I was like, 'We gotta watch this. This is us!' I think it's everybody. I mean, I knew then, the first time I saw that movie, I was like, 'This is an auteur. One of the best filmmakers of our generation.'" Newton continued sharing praise for the director, revealing how she begged to be in Lady Bird, saying:
"It doesn’t matter that I didn't know who she was. I was like, 'This is what I want to do.' And I actually begged her to be in that movie. I auditioned for another role and I knew I wasn't going to get it, but I was like, 'Please? Anything.' And she was like, 'I have this really small one.' And I actually saw a TikTok recently, and she talked about me in it, and it made me cry because she just said really nice things. Because it's a really small role, and I had so much fun, and it just was really cool that she saw me at all."
Newton went on to explain what Gerwig did on the set of Lady Bird that made her realize the director was the real deal. "So yes, though. The answer is yes. And I'll tell you what, she did this really cool thing where she had everyone write down their name on a Post-it and their spirit animal, and we're both poodles. So from then on, you knew she was doing great things."
Kathryn Newton Wanted to Play Skipper in 'Barbie'
Newton joked that with the spirit animal game, Gerwig "was already giving Barbie, picking a poodle." She went on to disclose that she also begged to be in Barbie and even sent the director photos of her in costume just to try and get a part—though it wasn't as successful as her attempts to be in Lady Bird. "I begged to be in the Barbie movie, too, okay? Like I sent pictures of me in my Barbie tracksuits and stuff. No dice." When asked which Barbie she envisioned herself playing, Newton answered, "Barbie! A Barbie. There's so many Barbies. I was thinking, like, Skipper. There's a lot of Barbies in that universe."
Lisa Frankenstein opens in theaters on February 9. Catch up with our full guide to the film here and stay tuned to Collider for our full interview with Kathryn Newton.
Lisa Frankenstein (2024)
PG-13A coming of RAGE love story about a teenager and her crush, who happens to be a corpse. After a set of horrific circumstances bring him back to life, the two embark on a journey to find love, happiness - and a few missing body parts.
- Release Date
- February 9, 2024
- Director
- Zelda Williams
- Cast
- Carla Gugino , Kathryn Newton , Cole Sprouse , Jenna Davis
- Main Genre
- Horror
