Oscar-winning film director Oliver Stone walked back his comments slamming “Barbie” star Ryan Gosling “for doing that s–t for money.”
Stone, 77, said in a post on X (formerly Twitter) that he made those incendiary comments last year before seeing the box-office behemoth, which snared eight Oscar nominations Tuesday — including one for Gosling as Best Supporting Actor and America Ferrera as Best Supporting Actress and has grossed over $1.45 billion worldwide.
“At the time, I was busy promoting my nuclear documentary in Europe [‘Nuclear Now’] and had little to no knowledge of the project beyond its title,” Stone wrote, regarding his nuking of Gosling and “Barbie.”
He said he saw the film in July “and appreciated the film for its originality and its themes.”
“I found the filmmakers approach certainly different than what I expected,” he said. “I apologize for speaking ignorantly.”
He also praised “Barbie” director Greta Gerwig’s 2017 movie “Ladybird” as “one of my favorites of that year.”
“‘Barbie’s’ box office greatly boosted the morale of our business, which was welcome,” he said. “I wish Greta and the entire ‘Barbie’ team good fortune at the Oscars.”
While Gosling and Ferrara snared “Barbie” Oscar nominations, director Gerwig and star Margot Robbie were snubbed by members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in an eye-popping oversight for a movie that took the world, and the box office, by storm last summer.
Stone made his original comments about “Barbie” in a 2023 interview with City A.M. last June, just weeks before the film, starring Margot Robbie, was released nationwide.
“Ryan Gosling is wasting his time if he’s doing that s–t for money,” he said at the time. “He should be doing more serious films.
“He shouldn’t be a part of this infantilization of Hollywood. Now it’s all fantasy, fantasy, fantasy — including all the war pictures: fantasy, fantasy,” Stone said.
He also took umbrage with the “Fast and Furious” movie franchise, which he said he used to enjoy.
“They have become like Marvel movies,” he said. “I mean, how many crashes can you see?”
Stone also took a shot at the “John Wick” film franchise starring Keanu Reeves in the City A.M. interview.
“On the plane I watched ‘John Wick,’ which is three hours and some,” he said. “And I fell asleep about 778 times during it.
“I kept waking up and having to face him killing more people. It’s like the world has degenerated into non-logic.”
Stone has snared eight Oscar nominations in his long career and won statuettes for “Platoon” in 1987 (Best Picture, Best Director) and “Born on the Fourth of July” (Best Director, 1990).
He also won a 1979 Oscar for “Midnight Express” (Best Adapted Screenplay).
Stone received Oscar nominations for “Salvador” (1987), “JFK” (1992) and “Nixon” (1996).