Warner Bros. hit the jackpot in the summer of 2023 with Greta Gerwig's Barbie starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling in lead roles. The box office success reflected in the Awards season too, with the film getting eight Oscar nods, securing a win in the Original Song category. The film's $1.4 billion box office, combined with a commendable Award run, called for a sequel, which was a no-brainer for the studio. But it has been three years since the first movie came out, and there is still no announcement of the follow-up or any development updates.

According to a recent report, Barbie 2 seems to be stuck in negotiations, as David Zaslav is unable to align on the higher pay for the talent attached.

The New York Times revealed on Friday that Warner Bros. has been negotiating a sequel with Greta Gerwig, Margot Robbie, and Ryan Gosling. The company is working to finalize these agreements before the rights return to Mattel in December. However, no agreement has been reached between the studios and the crew, as the parties involved are finding it difficult to find a middle ground.

According to the Times article, Gerwig and her writing partner and husband, Noah Baumbach, have an idea for the upcoming film, but they will not discuss it with the studio until the negotiations are finalized. In addition, Gosling, who received an Oscar nomination for best supporting actor for his performance, is eyeing a $20 million payout for the sequel. It was also reported that there were talks about awarding principal actors a portion of the box office profits if the movie achieves a certain number at the box office. 

However, the New York Times also reports that Warner Bros. CEO David Zaslav is reluctant to approve such a transaction and believes that such an offer would be too generous. Notably, a Warner Bros. representative points out that there was never an agreed-upon framework that was approved and then withdrawn.

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While the studio and the crew remain stuck at a stalemate, the clock is ticking on the rights deal between Mattel and Warner Bros.

Barbie 2 might fall out of the hands of Warner Bros. entirely if they fail to lock in the cast and crew for the sequel before December 2026. Once this deadline is reached, the rights will automatically revert to Mattel. Then Mattel is at liberty to rebuild the intellectual property, which would require a new director, actors, and premise. And even if Warner Bros. somehow manages to meet the deadline, production of the film would still take a couple of years to kick off.

Margot Robbie is currently working on Warner Bros' Ocean's 11 prequel, which is scheduled for June 2027. Meanwhile, Ryan Gosling recently revealed that he will star in Marvel's 2028 film Ghost Rider and must promote Disney's Star Wars: Starfighter, which opens in theaters on May 28, 2027. Early in the upcoming year, Greta Gerwig will also go on a promotional tour for her most recent movie, Netflix's Narnia. In view of all this, Barbie 2 seems to be a far-off possibility.

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Do you think Warner Bros. will manage to get the ball rolling on Barbie 2 on time? Do let us know.