《Barbie 2》A deadlock: The original creator has not been invited back after six invitations

《Barbie》(Barbie) will take in a global box office of approximately US$1.4 billion in 2023, but a sequel has not yet been negotiated.Warner has sent out more than six invitations to the core creative team in the past three years, all of which were rejected. The development of Barbie 2 has reached a deadlock.

Negotiations involve Greta Gerwig, Noah Baumbach, Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling.Gerwig directed and co-wrote with Baumbach, Robbie stars and produces, and Gosling plays Ken.

The most recent offer was made in the spring of 2026.A person familiar with the matter described this as the highest price Warner has ever offered to a film production team and stars, and it is enough to change lives.The other side believes that the overall package price for four people may set a record, and the compensation for a single person does not count.CAA, which represents the four people, did not refute the claims about this round of offers, and Gerwig's lawyer Tara Kole was also involved.

Warner also facesCopyright expiry at the end of 2026: Barbie 2 or another new Barbie movie must be put into active development before the deadline, otherwise the film and television rights will revert to Mattel.If a new contract is not signed, even if Mattel continues to make live-action movies in the future, it will not be able to use the content of Gerwig's version to make follow-up films, and will need to restart a new version.

Gerwig and Baumbach have ideas for a sequel, and in 2024 there was news that the two parties were discussing ideas.However, if the new contract is not established, the idea will not be put into use.The contract for the first film did not require the creators to undertake sequel obligations, and Gerwig did not want to be tied to the sequel for a long time.

Income distribution is an important point of disagreement in negotiations.The four are asking for higher upfront compensation and, in addition to Baumbach, a significant increase in back-end revenue sharing.It is said that Gosling demanded an advance payment of US$20 million; Robbie's salary and share from the first film were once estimated to be around US$50 million, and some film studio sources said that she ultimately received much higher than this figure.

Regarding the specific dispute, the parties still disagree.One party claimed that the main creator was satisfied with the upfront salary, but was dissatisfied with the back-end share; the other party questioned both points.There is also news that Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav believes that the team’s demands are too much and is unwilling to accept its back-end revenue plan.

The creators did not ask for proportional dividends from the first box office revenue.Several company insiders were alarmed by the impasse, saying the series had clear commercial potential; a senior executive at a rival company described the decision as another mistake by Zaslav in the film business.

Mattel also hopes to continue the cooperation.Its film and television department has benefited from the success of Barbie since its inception. The movie and Robbie's star influence have an effect on toy sales and brand transformation, but whether it can bring back the creative team is still a prerequisite for continued cooperation.

Another person familiar with the matter put their hope in Paramount/Tianwu head David Ellison: If his acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery is completed, he may be able to renegotiate the contract with Mattel and strive for the return of the original cast.This is still a judgment call on the follow-on deal and has not yet become a done deal for a sequel.