Reese Witherspoon and her Pacific Standard has picked up the screen rights to the story of Ruth Handler, the creator of the Barbie doll.
According to The Tracking Board, which first reported on the project, it is being produced by Witherspoon and her producing partner Bruna Papandrea. The project has been set up at Bold Films and is based on Barbie and Ruth: The Story of the World’s Most Famous Doll and the Woman who Created Her by Robin Gerber.
“Ruth Handler’s inspiring true story reveals the triumphs and struggles of the genius businesswoman behind the creation of Barbie, the most iconic doll in the world,” Bold Films chairman Michel Litvak told Variety.
Witherspoon could star in the film, but she has been willing to stay behind the camera on other Pacific Standard projects, including Gone Girl. Her Pacific Standard has been snapping up screen rights to books aggressively and have several other projects lined up.
Gerber’s novel was published in 2010 and tells the story of Handler, who created the doll after she saw her daughter playing with paper dolls. She was married to Elliot Handler, one of the co-founders of Mattel, which first produced the doll in 1959.
Witherspoon was recently seen in Hot Pursuit (another Pacific Standard production) and is currently working on HBO’s Big Little Lies.