Australian actress Margot Robbie has appeared as a towering figure in the first tantalising teaser for one of the most anticipated movies of 2023.

Warner Brothers has released the first trailer for Barbie, from the mind of award-winning director and co-writer Greta Gerwig.

The candy-coloured world of Barbie. Photo: Warner Bros

The 75-second teaser opens with a voiceover from veteran British actress Helen Mirren who tells the early story of the evolution of dolls.

Against the iconic score to Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey, Mirren says: “Since the beginning of time, since the first little girl ever existed, there have been dolls.”

As Mirren narrates, young girls are seen sitting on a dusty bare landscape as they play with traditional baby-sized dolls.

Mirren continues: “But the dolls have always and forever been baby dolls, until…”

The towering legs of Barbie. Photo: Warner Bros

The clip then cuts to the long, towering, slender legs of a ‘woman’ doll dominating the arid landscape.

As the camera zooms out, the legs are dramatically revealed to be those of Barbie who’s wearing a retro black-and white swimsuit and heels.

After Robbie’s winking introduction, the trailer shifts to a quick series of hyper-coloured scenes in a very pink Barbie world, including Ryan Gosling as a bleach blonde Ken doll.

Retro Barbie introduced as the gamechanging doll. Photo: Warner Bros

In September, Robbie revealed shooting for the highly anticipated Barbie movie brought “the most humiliating moment” of her life.

This happened when photos were leaked showing behind-the-scenes photos of the actor in costume alongside Gosling.

Ryan Gosling as Ken. Photo: Warner Bros

While little is known yet about the film’s plot, Robbie has previously hinted that Gerwig would bring an element of surprise.

“People generally hear Barbie and think, ‘I know what that movie is going to be’, and then they hear that Greta Gerwig is writing and directing it, and they’re like, ‘Oh, well, maybe I don’t’,” Robbie told British Vogue in August 2021.

Also featured are America Ferrera (Ugly Betty), Michael Cera (Scott Pilgrim vs. the World), Simu Liu (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings) and Saturday Night Live’s Kate McKinnon and Sex Education star Emma Mackey.

The film’s stellar line-up is rounded off by Anchorman actor Will Ferrell, who will reportedly portray the CEO of a toy company.

Barbie marks Robbie’s latest collaboration with Warner Bros. She also worked with the cinematic giant on DC films Suicide Squad (2016), Birds of Prey (2020) and The Suicide Squad (2021).

Barbie is due for release in July 2023.