A film that raked in over $1.4 billion (roughly NT$41.9 billion) worldwide, and yet its sequel might collapse over a contract that was never signed. It sounds anticlimactic, but that's exactly where things stand with the *Barbie* sequel right now.
According to foreign media reports, Warner Bros. has approached director Greta Gerwig, screenwriter Noah Baumbach, and stars Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling more than six times over the past three years — and been turned down every time. The latest round of terms, offered this past spring, was described by industry insiders as "life-changing" money, yet still failed to seal a deal.
Money is part of the problem, but not all of it. Margot Robbie, who both starred in and produced the first film, already pocketed around $50 million (roughly NT$1.6 billion) in salary and backend bonuses — so any sequel offer was always going to start higher. Meanwhile, Ryan Gosling is reportedly demanding a $20 million (roughly NT$600 million) upfront fee plus backend profits just to reprise his role as Ken. Combined, the two stars' asking price reportedly totals around $70 million (roughly NT$2.1 billion).
But the real crux of the issue lies in the contract structure itself. Back in 2023, nobody predicted *Barbie* would become a cultural phenomenon, so the original agreement never secured sequel priority rights for Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach. That means both are now free to decide whether or not to return, without being bound by any salary negotiation deadlines. While rumors suggest they already have a direction in mind for the sequel, neither is willing to reveal any script details before a contract is finalized — nor are they interested in getting a head start on the creative work, leaving Warner Bros. in an increasingly passive position.
Time is the real variable here. Sources say Warner Bros. has only about four months left to officially move the *Barbie* sequel into development. Miss that window, and the film adaptation rights could revert back to toy giant Mattel — at which point the studio wouldn't just lose continuity with the existing world, it might have to build an entirely new version from scratch.
All details above are based on statements from studio sources cited by foreign media outlets and have not been officially confirmed by Warner Bros. or the individuals involved.
