A Barbie sequel is stalled as Warner Bros. and the creative team of Greta Gerwig, Noah Baumbach, Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling remain deadlocked over compensation, despite more than six studio offers over three years, all rejected.
Gosling is reportedly seeking $20 million to reprise Ken, and the team wants higher upfront fees plus increased back-end participation, though not first-dollar gross. The original contracts, signed under a previous Warner regime, contained no obligation for a sequel.
Studio chiefs Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdy have roughly four months to get another Barbie film into active development before the rights revert to Mattel, forcing a reboot without Gerwig's version as the starting point.
Barbie doll sales have declined since the 2023 film's boost, and the sequel's fate may also hinge on Warner Bros. Discovery's ownership situation, with a source suggesting David Ellison could revive the project if he wins his bid for the company.
The full dispatch is available from the source below.