Set aside his filmmaking, acting, teaching, novelizing, and producing endeavors, and let us all agree on this: Werner Herzog is one of the few individuals in the world who is capable of delivering an exceptionally excellent soundbite. Not simply the renowned dialect. (However, the accent aids.) It is the fact that Herzog, despite his sombre persona, is an accomplished shit-talker and showman with a sharp intellect that makes him one of the most consistently hilarious interview subjects worldwide.
To witness a portion of Herzog being himself, we this week subjected ourselves to several minutes of Piers Morgan’s YouTube show, which is not something we typically do. The interview is replete with insightful moments involving Herzog.
For instance, when Morgan attempts to provoke him into offering a hasty opinion on “cancel culture” by citing allegations of heinous abuse against his longtime collaborator and adversary Klaus Kinski, Herzog responds with a nuanced and reflective remark, refusing to succumb to the interviewer’s nonsense. The interview’s most significant and attention-grabbing segment, however, occurs at the very end: Morgan questions Herzog, “Oppenheimer? “Barbie, if not?”
Related: John Cena Was Desperate to Be in Barbie Despite His Agency’s Oppose!
Werner Herzog’s Statement Over Barbie
Funny enough, Herzog admits he hasn’t watched any of Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer, but he did see the first half of Greta Gerwig’s Barbie: “I was intrigued, so I wanted to see it, and I still don’t know the solution. But I have a hunch: Is it possible that Barbie’s universe is the pits? For a movie ticket holder to experience pure hell—the closest thing to it.
If Herzog were to change his mind about “Barbie” after viewing it, he would not be the first notable filmmaker to do so. Before viewing the film, “Wall Street” and “JFK” director Oliver Stone referred to it as a “infantilization” of the filmmaking industry. After viewing “Barbie,” Stone subsequently issued an apology, adding that he “admired the film’s themes and originality” and “found the filmmakers’ approach to be quite different from what I had anticipated.”
“Barbie” was nominated for eight Academy Awards, one of which was for Best Picture. While Greta Gerwig did not receive a nomination for Best Director, she and co-writer Noah Baumbach have been shortlisted in the contest for Best Adapted Screenplay. Although not nominated for the Oscar in the Best Actress category, lead actress Margot Robbie will still receive an Oscar as a producer if “Barbie” wins Best Picture. For their supporting performances, Robbie’s co-stars Ryan Gosling and America Ferrera received acting nominations.