Plans for Barbie 2 have reportedly reached a major roadblock as Warner Bros. continues negotiating with Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling and director Greta Gerwig. None of the three principal figures behind the original blockbuster are currently under contract to return for a sequel.
According to Variety, Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav has declined to approve the proposed compensation packages, which reportedly include higher upfront salaries and profit participation. The studio maintains that it has presented several significant offers, while representatives for the talent have yet to accept the latest terms.
Gosling is reportedly seeking $20 million to reprise his role as Ken after earning approximately $12.5 million for the original film. Robbie, who starred in and produced Barbie, is also expected to receive a considerably improved deal following the movie’s extraordinary commercial success.
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The salary dispute is also preventing Gerwig and co-writer Noah Baumbach from moving forward creatively. The pair reportedly have an idea for a follow-up but are unwilling to begin developing the screenplay until agreements are secured for the returning cast and creative team.
Warner Bros. faces additional pressure because its current rights agreement with Mattel reportedly requires the deals to be completed by December 2026. Should the rights return to Mattel, a different studio could pursue another Barbie film, but it would not be able to reuse the original movie’s story elements or involve Robbie, Gosling and Gerwig.
The first Barbie earned more than $1.4 billion worldwide and received eight Academy Award nominations, making a sequel one of Hollywood’s most anticipated potential projects. Despite that success, Barbie 2 has no confirmed production schedule or release date while negotiations remain unresolved.
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