Negotiations for Barbie 2 have come to a halt, and if Warner Bros. can’t make a deal by December 2026, it will lose director Greta Gerwig, writer Noah Baumbach, and stars Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling.
A behind-the-scenes update on the sequel to 2023’s box office success was shared in a new report from The New York Times. Three years removed from its theatrical premiere, one would expect progress on a sequel to be further along, but it sounds like Warner Bros. and the talent behind the first film are locked in a monthslong standoff.
It’s said that both parties have failed to agree to a deal to see the cast and crew return for Barbie 2 after the first film managed to bring in a record-breaking $1.5 billion in theaters (via Box Office Mojo). Warner Bros.’s offers to the returning talent include a cut of box office profits based on its success, as well as raises, including paying Gosling his $20 million asking price. The site’s sources stated that current Warner Bros. CEO David Zaslav believes the offers on the table are “too generous” and refused to give them the OK.
A Warner Bros. representative refuted that claim, saying instead that talent representatives declined an offer made in May and have yet to file a counteroffer. As Barbie 2 floats in limbo, the report noted that time is not on anyone’s side.
Should a deal fail to be reached by December, rights to the movie franchise will revert back to Mattel. Although that could still eventually see a second live-action Barbie movie materialize at another studio, it would do so without Gerwig, Baumbach, Robbie, or Gosling. It would also be required to proceed without carrying over any of the story elements established in the 2023 project.
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