The planned sequel to 'Barbie' is stuck. According to information from the New York Times, Warner Bros. only has until December to reach an agreement with lead actress Margot Robbie (36), co-star Ryan Gosling (45), and director and co-writer Greta Gerwig (42). If no contract is reached by then, the rights to the material revert to toy company Mattel.
According to the report, negotiations have been ongoing for months. On the table is reportedly a profit participation tied to the film exceeding certain box office benchmarks. The New York Times attributes the lack of a signature to David Zaslav: The head of Warner Bros. Discovery allegedly refused to give his approval because the terms seemed too generous to him.
Studio disputes the account
Warner Bros. sees things differently. A spokesperson rejected the newspaper's account and stated that the stars' representatives declined an offer made in May without presenting a counteroffer so far. "We have a rights agreement with Mattel and have made a series of major offers to finalize the contracts for the next 'Barbie' film," studio heads Pam Abdy and Michael De Luca said. "Unfortunately, we have not been able to reach an agreement so far."
The Hollywood Reporter also asked Warner Bros. for a statement. The studio had nothing to add to the quoted statement.
An idea for part two has long existed
At least the material isn't the problem. Greta Gerwig and her partner Noah Baumbach, with whom she already wrote the screenplay for the first installment, have been carrying the idea for 'Barbie 2' around with them for a few years now. As early as 2024, the Hollywood Reporter reported that the two were in an early phase of story development.
1.5 billion dollars and eight Oscar nominations
What's at stake can be expressed in numbers. 'Barbie' earned 1.5 billion US dollars worldwide and was nominated for eight Oscars. The film actually won one of the trophies: 'What Was I Made For?' by Billie Eilish and Finneas O'Connell was honored as best original song.
By its theatrical release in July 2023, the film had already grown into a pop culture event. The marketing campaign, the ubiquitous pink, and not least the simultaneous release of Christopher Nolan's 'Oppenheimer' even spawned its own catchword: 'Barbenheimer.'
