Greta Gerwig Compares Her ‘Barbie’ Directing Duties to Driving a Stolen Car: ‘Don’t Tell Them Where We’re Going’

With months of hindsight now at her disposal, Greta Gerwig is looking back at the runaway summer success of “Barbie” with an appreciation for the independence she was able to wield at the helm of her first big-budget Hollywood film.

Gerwig, in a long-form interview with Vanity Fair, said the key was plowing through with blinders on, blissfully ignorant of her studio surroundings.

“Honestly, there was nothing but fear around all of it from the outset,” Gerwig said. “You’re dealing with a topic that is already so filled with opinions. But the trick is to say, ‘Well, instead of trying to tiptoe around it, what if we just stepped in it?’ And the whole undertaking was definitely like ‘Drive it like you stole it.’