Before Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie,” there was “Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story.”“Mattel did pay a visit to our office,” said acclaimed producer Christine Vachon during an onstage interview with Deadline at Karlovy Vary Film Festival.
Back in 1987, she was helping out on the Todd Haynes and Cynthia Schneider-produced movie.
The now-banned film, dedicated to Carpenter’s tragic life and her untimely passing, featured dolls instead of actors.“Todd bought all these toys in garage sales.
There were Barbies, but also all these Barbie rip-offs, so he was able to prove to Mattel that it was off brand,” Vachon said.While he appeased the famous company, Carpenter’s family was less pleased, filing a lawsuit against the director.“The reason he didn’t seek permission for these songs was because he didn’t expect it would blow up the way it did,” Vachon said.
“The movie made a tremendous splash,…
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