Barbie 2 Could Be in Trouble. And This Time, Ken Isn’t the Problem

Barbie conquered the box office. Getting her back into the Dreamhouse is proving considerably harder.

Three years after Greta Gerwig’s Barbie became a $1.4-billion global phenomenon, plans for a sequel are reportedly stuck in a battle over money.

According to Variety, Warner Bros. and the film’s key creative team, including Greta Gerwig, Noah Baumbach, Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, have failed to reach an agreement over compensation despite multiple offers. And there is more at stake than another round of negotiations.

What is holding up Barbie 2?

Money. Variety reports that Warner Bros. has made more than six offers over the past three years, all of which have been rejected. A studio source described the latest proposal, made late this spring, as the biggest package Warner Bros. has ever offered a filmmaking team and its stars, with another source calling it “life-changing money”. The other side reportedly sees things differently. The creative team is understood to be seeking higher upfront payments and greater participation in the sequel’s profits.

How much does Ryan Gosling want to play Ken again?

A reported $20 million. According to Variety, Gosling is seeking that amount to reprise his Oscar-nominated performance as Ken. But the negotiations extend well beyond Gosling. The challenge is reaching agreements with the team that made the first film such an extraordinary commercial and cultural success.

Didn't the original contracts cover a sequel?

Apparently not. The original deals reportedly contained no sequel obligations, leaving Warner Bros. without an automatic route to bring the same creative team back. Those contracts were negotiated before Barbie became a global blockbuster and before Gerwig had demonstrated that she could turn one of the world's best-known toy brands into a billion-dollar movie. That success dramatically changed the negotiating power of everyone involved.

Is there actually a story for Barbie 2?

Apparently, yes. Gerwig and Baumbach reportedly have an idea for the sequel, but Variety says they are unwilling to reveal it until agreements are signed. So, the problem isn't necessarily finding another story for Barbie. It's getting everyone into the room to make it.

Why is Warner Bros. running out of time?

This is where the negotiations get particularly interesting. Warner Bros. film chiefs Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdy reportedly have around four months to put another Barbie movie into active development. If that doesn't happen, Variety reports that the rights could revert to Mattel. That could mean starting again without Gerwig's Barbie as the foundation, effectively forcing a reboot rather than a straightforward continuation of the 2023 phenomenon.

Why does Mattel need Barbie 2 too?

The first movie did much more than sell cinema tickets. It gave Mattel's fledgling film operation instant credibility and triggered a surge of attention around the Barbie brand itself. But doll sales have reportedly declined from the boost they received following the movie's release. A successful sequel would therefore matter to Mattel as both a Hollywood property and a powerful marketing engine for its biggest brand.

So, is Barbie 2 dead?

Not yet. Warner Bros. still has time to make another offer, the filmmakers have a sequel idea, and everyone involved knows just how valuable another Barbie movie could be. But the irony is delicious. The first Barbie became a phenomenon partly by asking questions about power, value and who gets to call the shots. Now the sequel is stuck on pretty much the same questions.

(With inputs from ANI)