Sophia Michaels
Amid the sweeping craze of Barbie mania this year, thanks to Greta Gerwig’s live-action doll movie, another Barbie-esque project is reportedly on the way — and this time, it’ll involve Bratz. According to Deadline, CBS has acquired the rights to “You Don’t Own Me: How Mattel V. MGA Entertainment Exposed Barbie’s Dark Side” by USD law professor Orly Lobel, a book that details the parallel journeys of Barbie creator Ruth Handler and Bratz creator Carter Bryant. Per the outlet, the move could lead to the development of a potential TV series. Reps for CBS, Mattel, and MGA did not immediately respond to POPSUGAR’s requests for comment.
Lobel’s book pits Barbie’s Mattel against Bratz’s MGA, two monster companies that have been toy rivals for years. According to “You Don’t Own Me”‘s synopsis, Bryant, a former Mattel employee, took time off from his job in 2000 when he first began designing the concept for his eventual billion-dollar line of Bratz dolls. Two weeks before he quit Mattel, Bryant sold the idea to MGA, leading to a years-long court battle in which Mattel sued Bryant and MGA, claiming to own the copyright to the Bratz brand, per The New Yorker. MGA sued back, contending that Bratz was created during Bryant’s hiatus from his former employer.
It’s not yet clear how Lobel’s book about the fight for intellectual property will be tackled in a potential TV series. However, Deadline noted that the book itself deep dives into Handler and Bryant’s back stories, as the two brilliant inventors produced impactful creations that, apparently, nearly destroyed them in the process.
Gerwig’s “Barbie” movie sparked a massive demand for Barbie-everything this year, from pink-themed marketing campaigns far and wide to a craving for more Mattel-inspired projects. The New Yorker reported that Mattel has 45 movies in the works inspired by its other toy brands. Meanwhile, Bratz has entered the on-screen conversation as well, as fans demand another iteration of its story following the 2007 live-action movie, animated TV series, video games, and more.
