The highly anticipated sequel to the box office smash hit Barbie movie is reportedly in limbo due to stalled contract negotiations over its stars’ salaries.
The film, which starred Aussie actress Margot Robbie in the title role, made Warner Bros. a massive $US1.4 billion ($1.9 billion) at the global box office and earned eight Oscar nominations, so a sequel was always going to be in the pipeline.
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But it appears a second film may never get off the ground given Robbie and her co-star Ryan Gosling, who plays Ken in the film, are said to have demanded huge pay rises.
The pair are also reportedly wanting a cut of the profits for the sequel and Gosling, in particular, is reportedly angling for a massive upfront payday of $US20 million ($28 million).
According to The New York Times, the studio is desperate for a second film, but Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav has yet to sign off on Robbie and Gosling’s megabucks deals.
It’s believed Gosling earned $US12.5 million ($18 million) for his role in the first film, but after his performance scored him an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor, he wants the salary in the sequel to be significantly bigger.
The NYT reports that Warner Bros. execs have been negotiating with Robbie and Gosling for months without success, with half a dozen offers made but reps have declined them all.
Now the race is on with both parties required to sign off on a deal by December or the rights to Barbie will revert to toy manufacturer Mattel if Warner Bros. does not make a deal with the principal talent for the sequel.
If both parties don’t come to the table, Mattel would have to redevelop the IP for a new movie, which means a new filmmaker, new cast and new concept will be at play.
It’s believed Barbie director Greta Gerwig and writing partner (and husband) Noah Baumbach have an idea for the plot’s sequel, but they apparently won’t share the concept with the studio until the deals are complete.
“We have a rights deal with Mattel in place and have made a series of big offers to try and finalise deals to make the next ‘Barbie’ film. Unfortunately, we have been unable to reach an agreement thus far,” Warner Bros. co-chairs, Pam Abdy and Michael De Luca, confirmed the talks in a statement, as per Variety.
In a bizarre move, Warner Bros. did not ask Robbie or Gosling to commit to sequels when they agreed to the first film, with the pair just signing on to a one-movie deal.
“It’s funny, that knee-jerk reaction in this day and age for everyone to immediately ask about a sequel,” Robbie – whose production company LuckyChap Entertainment co-produced Barbie – told Variety back in 2024 after its release. “I don’t think it was like that 20 years ago. This wasn’t designed to be a trilogy.”
“Everything went into Barbie – and that’s how Greta works,” Robbie added. “She finishes every movie on empty, feeling like she could never make another movie because she put everything she had into that one. So I don’t know what it would take to fill that cup up again for her. Or for us. I think Warners would also agree. I don’t know what more could even look like.”