Barbie’s World Is “Sheer Hell,” Werner Herzog Says

Last summer’s Barbieheimer movement during the joint WGA/SAG-AFTRA strikes led fans to create their own buzz and press for the movies since the writers and stars could not. Both films went on to become incredibly successful, both financially and critically, and are now top contenders in this year’s Oscar race.

Appearing on Piers Morgan’s Uncensored talk show, the legendary filmmaker Werner Herzog talked to Morgan about his career, Hollywood cancel culture, and the Barbieheimer phenomenon (you can watch the full interview here). The Grizzly Man and Firzcarraldo director danced around the question for a moment, citing he wasn’t an expert and hadn’t gotten around to seeing Christopher Nolan’s epic. However, he managed to see the first 30 minutes of Greta Gerwig’s Barbie and what he saw left him thinking about a personal hell.

“I have not seen Oppenheimer yet, but with Barbie, I managed to see the first half hour. I wanted to watch it because I was curious, and I still don’t have an answer, but I have a suspicion,” the director said. “Could it be that the that the world of Barbie is sheer hell? As for a movie ticket, as an audience, you can witness sheer hell as close as it gets.”

Herzog did not elaborate, but it came across as him theorizing and equating that existing in Barbie Land was hell, not criticizing Gerwig’s movie. When pressed for what he meant, the director said he wanted to at least finish the film before having a better idea.

“I don’t know yet, Piers Morgan, give me a moment to watch the whole thing,” Herzog replied. “I have to watch the whole thing first.”

Barbie is up for eight Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture.