Oliver Stone feels sorry for ‘ignorantly’ speaking about ‘Barbie’, wishes team ‘great fortune’ at Oscars

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Oscar-winning director Oliver Stone has issued an apology for his harsh criticism of the Greta Gerwig-directed blockbuster 'Barbie' which he had called “shit” and “part of this infantilization of Hollywood.”

Stone said he now “appreciated the film for its originality and its themes” and earnestly wished the best for the team at the Oscars.

Oliver Stone’s previous comments on 'Barbie' and other films

Stone’s apology came after a story in Deadline on Sunday, January 21, that unearthed comments he had made in an interview with City AM in June 2023, shortly before 'Barbie'’s release.

In the interview, Stone had said, “Ryan Gosling is wasting his time if he’s doing that shit for money. He should be doing more serious films. He shouldn’t be a part of this infantilization of Hollywood.”

Stone had also slammed other popular films, such as the 'Fast and Furious' franchise and the John Wick series, saying they were “all fantasy, fantasy, fantasy” and that the world had “degenerated into non-logic.”

Oliver Stone’s change of heart after watching 'Barbie'

Following the story in the publication, Stone responded with a statement saying he made the comments about 'Barbie' a week before the film even came out.

He said he was at the time “busy promoting my nuclear documentary in Europe and had little to no knowledge of the project beyond its title.”

He added, “I was able to see Barbie in a theater back in July and appreciated the film for its originality and its themes. I found the filmmakers’ approach certainly different than what I expected.”

Oliver Stone’s apology and praise for 'Barbie' team

Stone concluded his statement by saying, “I apologize for speaking ignorantly," about the movie at the time when he had not seen it.

He said, Greta Gerwig’s 2017 film 'Lady Bird' was one of his favorites of that year.

"'Barbie’s box office greatly boosted the morale of our business, which was welcome. I wish Greta and the entire 'Barbie' team good fortune at the Oscars, he concluded.

Oscars snubs Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie

Meanwhile, 'Barbie', which stars Margot Robbie as the iconic doll and Ryan Gosling as her love interest, received eight Oscar nominations.

It included Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Supporting Actor for Ryan Gosling, Best Costume Design, Best Production Design, and Best Original Song among others.

However, reports and the public mood suggest it has been snubbed as it missed on Best Director nod for Greta Gerwig and Best Actress for Margot Robbie.

Stone has four Oscars, including for Best Adapted Screenplay for 'Midnight Express' and for Best Director for 'Born on the Fourth of July.'