Barbie 2 Will Have to Start from Scratch if Warner Bros. Can't Make a Deal With Talent by December
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.
"We have a rights deal with Mattel in place and have made a series of big offers to try and finalize deals to make the next Barbie film," Warner Bros. co-chairs Pam Abdy and Michael De Luca said in a joint statement. "Unfortunately, we have been unable to reach an agreement thus far."
It's hard to imagine what Barbie would have looked like without the creative team behind it. The movie premiered not only to success at the box office but rave reviews praising it as an imaginative take on a decades-old IP.
Gerwig told Deadline in March 2024 that she had come around on the idea of a Barbie sequel, saying, "I want to do it." Even then, it was clear the wait for more would be long, as both Robbie and the creative team had previously said their expectations to deliver a Barbie 2 were low.
Gerwig and Baumbach have reportedly expressed they already have a story for Barbie 2 in mind and are ready to begin the writing process. That, of course, won't happen until a deal is made. With progress now at a standstill, it could still be years before another movie is made, and that's if Warner Bros. and the talent are even able to come to an agreement.
For now, Barbie exists as a standalone movie. IGN gave it a 9/10 review, calling it "a masterful exploration of femininity and the pressures of perfection."
Michael Cripe is a freelance writer with IGN. He's best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).