Key Takeaways
- Warner Bros. has until December 2026 to lock in deals with Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, and Greta Gerwig for a Barbie sequel before the film rights revert to Mattel, putting the follow-up in serious jeopardy.
- After three years and more than half a dozen offers, negotiations have stalled over a profit-participation plan that Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav reportedly deemed too generous, with talent reps rejecting the latest proposal and not countering.
- Gerwig and Noah Baumbach have an idea for a sequel but are reportedly withholding it until contracts are finalized, even as the original Barbie film's $1.5 billion box office and eight Oscar nominations raise the stakes for all sides.
The clock is ticking on a Barbie sequel, with Warner Bros. reportedly running out of time to stop it from slipping away entirely.
The studio has until December 2026 to close deals with Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, and Greta Gerwig before the rights to make another Barbie movie will revert to Mattel, according to a report from the New York Times.
The studio has made more than half a dozen offers as negotiations have stretched on, according to the report. Its most recent proposal was rejected by the talent's representatives, who did not make a counteroffer.
A central sticking point has been a proposed profit-participation arrangement tied to box office milestones. Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav declined to approve it, reportedly because he found the terms too generous. A studio spokesperson pushed back on that framing, saying talent representatives had turned down an offer made in May and had yet to respond with a counter.
Warner Bros. co-chairs Pam Abdy and Michael De Luca confirmed the standoff in a joint statement: "We have a rights deal with Mattel in place and have made a series of big offers to try and finalize deals to make the next Barbie film. Unfortunately, we have been unable to reach an agreement thus far."
Gerwig and writing partner Noah Baumbach have reportedly developed an idea for the sequel but are holding it back from the studio until their contracts are settled. Gerwig had publicly said as recently as 2024 that she had no story ideas for another film.
The original Barbie grossed $1.5 billion worldwide and collected eight Oscar nominations, winning Best Original Song for Billie Eilish and Finneas O'Connell's "What Was I Made For?"
