Apparently, Barbie co-writer Noah Baumbach first thought the film was a “terrible idea.' However, Greta Gerwig signed him up anyway.

Considering Baumbach didn't go on the Barbie press tour, he was allowed to discuss the film, according to Variety.

The writer had his first in-depth interview about the film following a special screening at the Writers Guild of America West headquarters.

Judd Apatow moderated the conversation at the sold-out screening, where Baumbach discussed his first thoughts on the film, along with a lot else.

Why Noah Baumbach didn't like the idea of a Barbie film

Regarding Barbie, the co-writer said, “I thought it was a terrible idea and Greta signed me up for it.”

Apparently, Margot Robbie, who was producing Barbie, approached Gerwig about writing for the film. She agreed to do it, but only if Baumbach was involved.

“I was just like, ‘I don't see how this is going to be good at all. I kind of blocked it for a while and every time she'd bring it up, I'd be like, ‘You've gotta get us out of this.' And then the pandemic happened…” the writer said.

Baumbach's attitude changed during the pandemic. Some pages that illustrated Gerwig's ideas were presented to him.

“It was Barbie waking up in her Dreamhouse and coming out to her backyard and meeting somebody who was sick and dying. I read these pages and thought, ‘I understand now what this is.'…The movie is about embracing your mortality and about the mess of it all, so it was exciting,” the writer added.

The rest is history. Baumbach took on Barbie and added, “I think this is the best thing we've ever written.”