'Barbie' sequel talks hit roadblock over offer dispute

Barbie was so successful for Warner Bros. that there was an immediate demand for a follow-up.

Greta Gerwig, the filmmaker behind the Mattel doll movie, claimed at the time that she had no plans for a second installment.

“At this moment, it’s all I’ve got,” she told The New York Times, adding, “I feel like that at the end of every movie, like I’ll never have another idea and everything I’ve ever wanted to do, I did.”

The director went on to say, “I wouldn’t want to squash anybody else’s dream, but for me, at this moment, I’m at totally zero.”

However, she now seems to have an idea for a sequel, but the studio has run into a problem.

The New York Times claims that both sides have intensified talks as a number of topics were discussed, including profit-sharing bonuses in the event that the sequel is successful.

Even so, Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav is reportedly opposed to the package being offered to Gerwig and her team, calling it “too generous.”

Despite this, the report’s description was not supported by the studio.

Co-chairs Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy said in a statement, “We have a rights deal with Mattel in place and have made a series of big offers to try and finalise deals to make the next Barbie film. Unfortunately, we have been unable to reach an agreement thus far.”

There is a sense of urgency despite these differences.

According to reports, the sequel rights will revert to Mattel if Warner Bros. and Gerwig are unable to reach an agreement by December.