Barbie's a living doll at Universal

According to Variety.com

Universal Pictures has added Barbie to its star stable, while He-Man and the Masters of the Universe has found a new home at Sony.

U has made a deal with Mattel to build a live-action film around its signature Barbie toy line. With studios racing to build films around well-known concepts, Universal brass feels it has landed the queen of globally branded toy figures.

According to Mattel, the 50-year-old Barbie has 99% worldwide brand awareness, and it's the No. 1 girls property in the toy industry, the top doll property in the U.S., and the No. 1 worldwide property in the traditional toy industry.

"Barbie is the most famous doll in history, a unique cultural icon in the world of brands," said Universal Pictures chairman Marc Shmuger. "So many representations of Barbie frequent pop culture. We're grateful to Mattel for entrusting us with this extraordinary opportunity."

Mark said the next step will be to canvass writers and decide on a creative take for a family-friendly movie. Mark, who just produced "Julie and Julia" and is in production on the untitled James L. Brooks-directed comedy that stars Reese Witherspoon and Jack Nicholson, was one of several A-list producers who met with Mattel and U execs. "Barbie may be the most popular girl in the world, and has always been a wonderfully aspirational figure, so we must do her proud," Mark said, noting that there's no shortage of plot possibilities since Barbie has held more than 120 jobs over the years.

The executive producers are Barbie general manager and Mattel senior veep Richard Dickson and Rob Hudnut, who is VP of entertainment for Barbie. The brand managers will clearly be hands-on in determining how Mattel's star asset translates to the screen.?P>Asked why there had never before been a live-action feature (there have been 16 direct-to-video animated titles, selling 75 million units worldwide, according to Mattel), Dickson called the U deal the logical next step in expanding the brand's reach. In the past several years, Barbie has expanded into fashion shows, merchandise and online ventures that include Twitter, Facebook and even Barbie's own YouTube channel.

"The brand wasn't ready for a movie," Dickson said. "In the last 10 years, Barbie has evolved from a toy into an intellectual property. Barbie has a proven track record in home entertainment, there have been live stage shows, live symphonies and other nontraditional forms of entertainment. There is a flagship store in Shanghai."

While Universal and Mark will want to move ahead aggressively, Dickson said no timetable has been set for Barbie's bigscreen debut.