CBS Studios Developing a Scripted Series Based on Rivalry Between Barbie and Bratz Companies

CBS Studios is heading into development on a project they just won the rights to, based on the story You Don't Own Me: How Mattel V. MGA Entertainment Exposed Barbie's Dark Side, a 2017 book from Orly Lobel. ComicBook reports that the story chronicles the business rivalry between the Barbie and Bratz doll lines, as well as the parallel stories of the franchise's two creators, Barbie's Ruth Handler and Bratz's Carter Bryant. The adaptation of You Don't Own Me is expected to be scripted series, although it does not currently have a platform or network attached.

You Don't Own Me explores the dark side of the doll wars set against the cultural revolution that Barbie spawned, the subsequent backlash, and the cut-throat, high-stakes world of toys. It follows Handler and Bryant, the brilliant, tortured creators of Barbie and Bratz – two quintessential outsiders who create dolls that literally change the world but nearly destroy themselves in the process.

The deal for the book's rights was reportedly made prior to Barbie's release, and prior to the ongoing WGA strike. Does this sound like a series you might be interested in?