Did the 'Barbie' Movie Set Actually Cause a Global Shortage of Pink Paint?

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It seems perfectly reasonable: A Barbie movie determined to bring a Barbie world to life uses up a global supply of pink paint to do so. Well, that's exactly what happened for the Greta Gerwig-directed film Barbie, which hits theaters July 21—but a few other factors likely contributed to the impressive cleanout.

The film's production designer Sarah Greenwood told Architectural Digest that the construction of the sets caused an international shortage of fluorescent pink paint by Rosco, a company that specializes in products for the entertainment industry. She joked, "The world ran out of pink."

But how much is a global supply of one shade of pink, really? While we don't have a specific gallon count, the company told The Los Angeles Times that its supply during the film's 2022 production was already lower than usual thanks to a stunted supply chain that's still recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic. "They used as much paint as we had," Lauren Proud, the vice president of global marketing for Rosco, told the outlet.

Not only that, but Rosco also had less paint than normal due to a deep freeze that hit Texas in 2021, damaging essential materials used to create the paint. "There was this shortage, and then we gave them everything we could — I don't know they can claim credit," Proud said.

Even though the initial supply may have been smaller than usual, Barbie did clean Rosco out of that vibrant pink paint. But if you're planning your own Barbiecore-inspired makeover, you don't have to worry: Many paint brands have similar hues available that you can douse your home in, from Benjamin Moore's Peony to Backdrop's Dunkin' Pink.

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