I wasn’t a fan of Barbie, but that didn’t stop it from making a million billion dollars. It turned over $1.4 billion (not what I said), so, naturally, a sequel was bound to happen.
The New York Times had a recent article saying that a Barbie sequel is ‘stalled’. This is due to no deals being closed with stars Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, and director Greta Gerwig. The rights to Barbie will revert back to Mattel in December. So, the clock is ticking for everyone to sign on the dotted line.
Mattel received a percentage of the profits of the first movie, and will get the same for a sequel. That’s all good. Gosling is asking for a mere $20 million, plus a cut of profits, if the movie makes a certain amount at the box office.
It’s not said what Robbie or Gerwig are asking, but the negotiations have been going on for months.
Warner Bros. co-chairs Pam Abdy and Michael De Luca said in a statement:
“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. Unfortunately, we have been unable to reach an agreement thus far.”
Interestingly, Gerwig is currently working on Netflix’s Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew. Gerwig and her husband and writing partner, Noah Baumbach, are using Narnia as leverage. They’d better hope the movie is a hit, or this could all fall through.
Personally, I’m not keen on a Barbie sequel; it was a ‘one and done’ movie. Although it might be funny to see Barbie go for her first smear test and then deal with period pains.
