Barbie movie: Margot Robbie 'honoured' to star as lead in live-action film

Margot Robbie has said she is "honoured" after being confirmed to play Barbie in an upcoming live-action film.

The Mary Queen of Scots star will play the iconic doll in the film, which will also be co-produced through her production company LuckyChap Entertainment.

Confirming her news in a statement, Robbie said: "I'm so honoured to take on this role that I believe will have a tremendously positive impact on children.”

She added that the role would promote “confidence, curiosity and communication” and that she “couldn’t imagine better partners” than Warner Brothers and Mattel, who created Barbie.

Warner Bros’ Toby Emmerich hailed the casting, saying: “Margot is the ideal producer and actress to bring Barbie to life on screen in a fresh and relevant way for today's audiences.”

The film, which is yet to be titled and assigned a director, has been in the headlines for several years now with different A-Listers linked with the lead role.

Comedian Amy Schumer was first named as the titular role but was “bummed” when she was forced to drop out of the project in 2017.

The star blamed “scheduling conflicts” for her departure from the film, saying she “tried" hard to make it work”.

Actress Anne Hathaway was then linked with the film’s lead – but never confirmed - before Robbie’s announcement on Tuesday.

Plot details are being kept tightly under-wraps but the film is expected to focus around Barbie’s life when she is thrown out of Barbieland for not fitting in.

The concept is to turn the Barbie ‘mythology’ on its head, delivering the message on its head, with an emphasis on feminism and diversity.