Why we might not get Barbie 2

The release of Barbie in 2023 was huge earning Warners their biggest box office haul ever of $1.4billion and a sequel would seem a no brainer but here is why we might not get Barbie 2!

The original deal…..

So the original deals for the top creatives had obligations for any of them to do a sequel as set up by the previous Warner bosses. Director Greta Gerwig did not want to be obliged to make any sequel when her first deal was made which was the norm for the studio as she’d directed only a handful of  films to that point and certainly not a big budget blockbuster. In fairness the studio were not aware just how massive the film would become. And then the film made $1.4b!

According to business affairs employees, the department that closes contracts — were stunned that the talent had not been tied in for a sequel. So the four cornerstone talents Robbie, Gosling, Gerwig and Baumbach are asking for a bumper deal to return with upfront fees and a healthy increases in back-end deals which could be huge if the sequel is another huge hit. Ryan Gosling who was Oscar nominated for the first is believed to be asking for $20 million to return as Ken.  Marot Robbie who was believed to have made $50 million for the first film though its now believed she made far more so any new deal would need to exceed that. Gerwig earned  tens of millions for the first film also so again for a sequel her deal would be bigger.

Why we might not get Barbie 2….

Warner Bros. has offered their biggest ever deal for a filmmaking team and its stars with the cost of all four described as ‘historic’  and its believed that the creative team are fine with the salaries offered, but far less so with the back-end deal It’s Warners CEO David Zaslev who has dug his heels in over the deal.

It’s a nightmare scenario on two fronts as WB film chiefs four months to put another “Barbie” movie into active development because after this the rights revert to toymaker Mattel. However if they do Mattel to use any of the original film for any sequel they might make. Add to this the impact its having on the Paramount takeover deal who obviously  want a potentially lucrative blockbuster on their slate.

…..And that’s why we we might not get Barbie 2

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