«Barbie 2» in jeopardy: Warner Bros. could lose the rights to the sequel
The studio has yet to reach an agreement with the film’s creative team
The future of the «Barbie» sequel is hanging in the balance. Warner Bros. has yet to reach an agreement with Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, and director Greta Gerwig on the terms of their continued collaboration. If the parties fail to reach a deal by December 2026, the studio will lose the rights to produce the sequel.
The news was first reported by The New York Times. According to the publication, financial disagreements remain the main obstacle. The filmmakers are seeking not only higher salaries but also a share of the sequel’s future box office revenue. Ryan Gosling, who received an Academy Award nomination for his portrayal of Ken, is reportedly seeking $20 million to reprise the role.
The situation is further complicated by the fact that Warner Bros. did not secure long-term sequel agreements with the film’s stars or director during the production of the original «Barbie». As a result, every aspect of a new deal now has to be negotiated from scratch. According to Western media reports, Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav considers the creative team’s financial demands excessive.
Warner Bros. co-chairs Pam Abdy and Michael De Luca confirmed that the studio has already made «several substantial offers», but negotiations have yet to produce an agreement.
«We have an active rights agreement with Mattel, and we have made several substantial offers to move forward with the next «Barbie» film. Unfortunately, we have not yet been able to reach an agreement», they said.
Meanwhile, Greta Gerwig and her husband and co-writer, Noah Baumbach, have already developed a concept for the sequel. However, they do not intend to begin writing the screenplay until all agreements have been finalized. They are also keeping the story details strictly confidential and have not shared them with the studio.
If no agreement is reached by the end of the year, the production rights will revert to Mattel. In that case, the company would have to develop the project independently — without using any story elements from the 2023 film. The current creative team would also not automatically be involved in the new production.
Released in 2023, «Barbie» became a global phenomenon. The film grossed nearly $1.5 billion worldwide, received eight Academy Award nominations, and became the highest-grossing film in Warner Bros. history.
Photo: Instagram @barbiethemovie
