Plans for ‘Barbie 2’ have stalled as Warner Bros. remains unable to finalize deals with director Greta Gerwig, writer Noah Baumbach and stars Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling.
The future of ‘Barbie 2’ has become uncertain as Warner Bros. continues to negotiate with the key creative team behind the blockbuster 2023 film.
The studio has reportedly made more than six offers over the past three years to bring back director Greta Gerwig, writer Noah Baumbach and stars Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling. None of the proposed deals has been finalized.
The negotiations have become complicated by significant financial demands from the returning talent. The new requests reportedly include higher upfront payments and more favorable shares of the film’s future profits. Gosling is reportedly seeking $20 million to return as Ken.
Gerwig and Baumbach already have an idea for a potential sequel, but they have not shared the concept with the studio while contract negotiations remain unresolved. The filmmakers are waiting for the business side of the project to be settled before moving forward with the story.
The original ‘Barbie’ became a massive worldwide success, earning around $1.4 billion at the global box office and becoming Warner Bros.’ biggest film at the time. Its success created strong expectations for another installment.
However, Warner Bros. faces a deadline to secure the necessary agreements. If a deal is not reached by December 2026, the studio’s rights arrangement with Mattel could expire, potentially allowing the toy company to pursue a new version of the franchise with a different creative team.
The situation leaves the highly anticipated sequel in a difficult position. Warner Bros. wants to continue the franchise, while the original creative team is seeking terms that reflect the enormous success of the first movie.
