Gaming News

Barbie Sequel Delayed Due to Salary Disputes

August 4, 2026Pablo Navarro1 мин

Following the immense success of the first "Barbie" film, discussions about a potential sequel quickly erupted online. Despite the initial impression that the movie was a standalone project, director Greta Gerwig and her husband Noah Baumbach have reportedly developed ideas for a follow-up. However, this project remains under wraps for now due to ongoing salary conflicts with Warner Bros.

These disputes do not directly involve Gerwig or the studio itself. Instead, it's believed that Warner Bros. CEO David Zaslav is hesitant to meet the salary demands of the film's principal actors. According to The New York Times, Ryan Gosling is seeking $20 million to reprise his role as Ken. Margot Robbie is also reportedly in negotiations for a lucrative deal that would include a share of the profits should she return as Barbie.

With the "Barbie" movie surpassing one billion dollars at the box office, it would seem logical to offer substantial compensation to both Robbie and Gosling to secure their return. The duo initially signed contracts for a single film to appear in the 2023 blockbuster, meaning their involvement in any sequel is not guaranteed unless an agreement is reached. Warner Bros. is also under pressure to finalize a new deal, as the rights to "Barbie" will revert to Mattel in December.

Warner Bros. co-chairs Pam Abdy and Michael De Luca acknowledged the situation in a statement: "We have a rights agreement in place with Mattel and have made significant offers to try and reach agreements for the next 'Barbie' film. Unfortunately, we haven't been able to reach an agreement to date."