Ryan Gosling reunites with Barbie co-stars for ‘hilarious’ Oscars promo video

ABC’s Oscars broadcast will be hosted by Jimmy Kimmel on Sunday 10 March

Ryan Gosling has reenacted his horrified reaction to Greta Gerwig’s Oscar snub for ABC’s 2024 Academy Awards promo video.

A month ahead of the live ceremony on 10 March, the network released its first major advert featuring Barbie stars Gosling, Kate McKinnon, America Ferrera and Oscar host Jimmy Kimmel.

In the video, Kimmel visits Weird Barbie (McKinnon) to ask for directions on how to get to the Oscars. After pulling down a map, she details the extensive journey that takes them through the sets of Oscar-nominated films Oppenheimer, Killers of the Flower Moon and Maestro. They also encounter Emma Stone’s Bella Baxter from Poor Things.

Before they make it to the Oscars red carpet, they pass by Matt Damon, who Kimmel describes as an “incredibly hideous, disgusting, ugly man” – a reference to their decades-long “feud”.

Upon arrival, Kimmel’s nerves kick in. “I don’t know if I can do this. It’s such a tricky thing,” he says to Weird Barbie. Instantly, Ferrera pops up from the Barbie mobile agreeing with Kimmel that it’s “literally impossible to host the Oscars”.

“You have to be extraordinary, but somehow you’re always doing it wrong. Like you have to make fun of people, but you can’t make too much fun of people,” she tells him, jumping into a riff on her viral Barbie monologue.

Ryan Gosling in Oscars promo video (ABC/YouTube)

“You have to give everybody enough time, but you can’t go long. And you are the center of attention, but no one cares you’re there. You can never show off, never fail, never show fear… no one says thank but everyone has something critical to say online. If it goes well, nobody says anything. If it doesn’t, it’s all your fault.”

“Yes! I think what you’re saying is that hosting the Oscars is even harder than being a woman,” Kimmel responds.

Gosling then pops up to diffuse the awkwardness by excitedly announcing that he’s “got In-N-Out”. “It’s kind of this cool social media trend where you get it before the Oscars,” he says.

“Hey Ryan, actually, I think the trend is to have In-N-Out after the Oscars, actually after you’ve won the Oscar,” corrects Kimmel, referring to Paul Giamatti’s trip to the fast food chain after his Golden Globe triumph.

“Oh, well, that’s not going to happen,” Gosling scoffs as he throws the meal to the ground. “Good thing Greta’s got director in the bag.”

Ferrera then has to break the news to him that Gerwig “didn’t get nominated”, to which he proceeds to shriek in horror, with McKinnon, Ferrera and Kimmel joining in.

Several fans have reacted joyously online to the “hilarious” promotional video, with one wondering why “this wasn’t the opening to the Oscars instead of just a promo”. “This was so clever and funny. Ryan Gosling is a comedic genius,” they wrote on X.

Gerwig and Barbie producer and star Margot Robbie’s respective snubs from the Best Director and Best Actress categories at this year’s Oscars have been publicly denounced by both Ferrera and Gosling – both of whom have received Oscar nods for their performances.

“There is no Ken without Barbie, and there is no Barbie movie without Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie, the two people most responsible for this history-making, globally-celebrated film,” Gosling wrote in a scathing statement.

“To say that I’m disappointed that they are not nominated in their respective categories would be an understatement.”

The 2024 Oscars are scheduled to air on Sunday 7 March, beginning at 4pm PT/ 7pm ET on ABC.