Barbie Sequel Stalled Over Salary Talks, Rights May Return to Mattel

Negotiations for a sequel to Greta Gerwig’s 2023 blockbuster *Barbie* have stalled. The studio, Warner Bros., has been unable to reach salary agreements with lead actors Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, as well as director-co-writer Greta Gerwig, putting the project’s future in doubt. If no deals are finalized by December, the film-rights are expected to revert to toy maker Mattel, which could force a new studio, cast and storyline.

The GuardianBarbie 2 Production Stalls as Margot Robbie & Ryan Gosling’s Salaries Cause Roadblock Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling's ‘Barbie’ sequel hits roadblock 'Barbie' sequel hit with setback over Ryan Gosling, Margot Robbie pay dispute Barbie sequel 'stalled due to eye-watering Ryan Gosling, Margot Robbie salaries' after original earned more than $1.4billion at the box office

*Barbie* earned an estimated $1.4–$1.5 billion worldwide, became the highest-grossing live-action comedy ever, and secured eight Academy Award nominations. The film was produced under a single-movie deal with Gerwig; Warner Bros. did not secure sequel commitments from the talent. Robbie’s production company LuckyChap Entertainment earned roughly $50 million from the first film through salary and bonuses. Despite the commercial triumph, the original contracts left the sequel’s financial terms open for negotiation.

The Guardian

• Box-office gross: $1.4–$1.5 billion (global).

The Independent

• Oscar nominations: 8.

Barbie sequel 'stalled due to eye-watering Ryan Gosling, Margot Robbie salaries' after original earned more than $1.4billion at the box office

• Ryan Gosling’s reported salary demand for Ken: $20 million (upfront).

The Independent

• Margot Robbie’s earnings from the first film: ? $50 million.

The Independent

• Deadline for finalizing talent deals: December (rights revert to Mattel if missed).

Barbie 2 Production Stalls as Margot Robbie & Ryan Gosling’s Salaries Cause Roadblock

Warner Bros. A Warner Bros. spokesperson added that offers made in May were declined and no counter-offers have been submitted. Gerwig and her husband Noah Baumbach have indicated they possess a sequel concept but will not share it until contracts are settled.

Barbie 2 Production Stalls as Margot Robbie & Ryan Gosling’s Salaries Cause Roadblock

Reports cited by the New York Times state that Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav found the profit-participation terms “too generous” and refused to sign off. However, a Warner Bros. spokesperson disputed that Zaslav “balked” at the offers, asserting that the studio simply made “a half-dozen offers” over three years without an approved framework. The precise structure of the profit-share proposal and any counter-offers from the talent remain unconfirmed.

Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling's ‘Barbie’ sequel hits roadblock

• “We didn’t build it to be a trilogy or something … We put everything into this one,” — York Times. Margot Robbie

The Guardian

• “But David Zaslav, the Warner Bros. Discovery chief executive, deemed the offers, including when participation in profits would kick in, too generous and would not sign off, the people said.” — Reports

'Barbie' sequel hit with setback over Ryan Gosling, Margot Robbie pay dispute

The December deadline looms as the decisive moment. Should Warner Bros. fail to secure agreements, Mattel will regain full control of the *Barbie* intellectual property and may develop a sequel with a new creative team, cast and studio. Until then, the sequel remains in limbo, with the talent’s representatives still reviewing the latest proposals.

Barbie 2 Production Stalls as Margot Robbie & Ryan Gosling’s Salaries Cause Roadblock