Barbie 2 Stalled as Warner Clashes With Gerwig, Robbie & Gosling

Margot Robbie’s Barbie may have been the pink box-office monster of 2023, but the sequel is now stuck in a messy stall. Warner Bros. wants to keep the franchise going, yet key deals with Greta Gerwig, Robbie and Ryan Gosling are still not locked in. The original Barbie became a huge hit, pulling in nearly $1.45 billion worldwide and landing as the top-grossing movie of the year. Robbie starred as the classic Mattel doll alongside Gosling, Ariana Greenblatt, America Ferrera and Will Ferrell, as the story sent Barbie into the real world after an existential crisis shook her plastic-perfect life. According to The New York Times, Warner Bros. has spent months trying to make a sequel happen, but it has not reached final agreements with Gerwig, Robbie or Gosling. The report said Gosling was offered $20 million, plus a share of box-office profits, but Warner CEO David Zaslav reportedly thought the number was too rich and refused to sign off. The clock is also working against the studio. The report said the Barbie rights could revert back to Mattel if Warner Bros. does not move forward by December. If that happens, the company would likely have to rebuild the whole project from the ground ...