Warner Bros. Faces Deadline in Barbie Sequel Talks With Stars

WHO:

The Hollywood Reporter - Warner Bros., Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, Greta Gerwig, David Zaslav, Pam Abdy, Michael De Luca, Noah Baumbach

WHAT:

Yahoo - Ryan Gosling is angling to raise his pay to $20 million for the sequel.

Yahoo - Warner Bros. has made a half dozen offers to the creative team behind "Barbie" over three years.

Yahoo - The most recent offer made by Warner Bros. is among the biggest the studio has made for a film.

The Hollywood Reporter - Warner Bros. has been negotiating with the principal talent for months, offering them a share of the profits if the film reaches certain box office milestones.

The Hollywood Reporter - A Warner Bros. spokesperson disputed the characterization that David Zaslav declined to approve the proposed deal because he believed it was “too generous.”

The Hollywood Reporter - Studio co-chairs Pam Abdy and Michael De Luca stated, “Unfortunately, we have been unable to reach an agreement thus far.”

The Hollywood Reporter - Warner Bros. has made a series of big offers to finalize deals for the next Barbie film, according to studio co-chairs Pam Abdy and Michael De Luca.

The Hollywood Reporter - A Warner Bros. spokesperson stated that talent representatives declined an offer made in May and have not yet submitted a counteroffer.

The Hollywood Reporter - Warner Bros. is negotiating with Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, and Greta Gerwig for a sequel to the film Barbie.

The Hollywood Reporter - Barbie grossed $1.5 billion worldwide and earned eight Oscar nominations, winning one for best original song (“What Was I Made For?” by Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell).

Screen Rant - Warner Bros. is racing to secure a sequel to Barbie before its deal with Mattel expires.

WHERE:

The Hollywood Reporter - The negotiations are taking place at Warner Bros.

WHEN:

Yahoo - Production on the sequel would still be a ways away as Margot Robbie is in production on her "Ocean's 11" prequel set to release in June 2027, and Ryan Gosling is set to star in Marvel's "Ghost Rider" movie dated for 2028.

The Hollywood Reporter - Warner Bros. has until December to reach a deal with the stars and director.

The Hollywood Reporter - Gerwig and Baumbach have been developing an idea for Barbie 2 for a couple of years.

The Hollywood Reporter - The first Barbie film was released in July 2023.

WHY:

The Hollywood Reporter - The rights to the sequel will revert to Mattel if a deal is not reached by December, as reported by the New York Times.

The Hollywood Reporter - The rights to the sequel will revert to Mattel if a deal is not reached by December.

The Hollywood Reporter - David Zaslav declined to approve the proposed deal because he believed it was “too generous.”

HOW:

Yahoo - Warner Bros. did not require the stars of "Barbie" to commit to sequels as they only signed a one-movie deal to land Greta Gerwig as the film's director.

The Hollywood Reporter - Gerwig and her Barbie co-writer Noah Baumbach have had an idea for Barbie 2 for a couple of years.

The Hollywood Reporter - Warner Bros. has been offering the principal talent a share of the profits if the film reaches certain box office milestones.

The Hollywood Reporter - A Warner Bros. spokesperson stated that talent representatives declined an offer made in May and have not yet submitted a counteroffer.

(UPDATED August 2, 2026 04:24 UTC)

Ryan Gosling is negotiating for a pay increase to $20 million for the sequel to "Barbie," while Warner Bros. has made several offers to the creative team over the past three years, with the latest being one of the studio's largest for a film. Production on the sequel is still some time away, as Margot Robbie is currently working on her "Ocean's 11" prequel, which is set to release in June 2027, and Gosling is slated to star in Marvel's "Ghost Rider," scheduled for 2028. Interestingly, Warner Bros. did not require the stars of "Barbie" to commit to sequels, as they only signed a one-movie deal to secure Greta Gerwig as the director.

(UPDATED August 1, 2026 23:12 UTC)

Warner Bros. has been in negotiations with the principal talent for months, offering them a share of the profits if the film reaches specific box office milestones, but studio co-chairs Pam Abdy and Michael De Luca stated that they have been unable to reach an agreement thus far. A spokesperson for Warner Bros. disputed claims that David Zaslav declined to approve the proposed deal because he thought it was “too generous.” If a deal is not reached by December, the rights to the sequel will revert to Mattel, while Gerwig and her co-writer Noah Baumbach have had an idea for Barbie 2 in the works for a couple of years.

(UPDATED August 1, 2026 17:16 UTC)

Warner Bros. is making significant offers to secure deals for the next Barbie film, as confirmed by studio co-chairs Pam Abdy and Michael De Luca. A spokesperson for Warner Bros. noted that talent representatives turned down an offer made in May and have yet to provide a counteroffer. If a deal isn't finalized by December, the rights to the sequel will revert back to Mattel, according to the New York Times.

(UPDATED August 1, 2026 11:21 UTC)

Warner Bros. is currently in negotiations with Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, and Greta Gerwig for a sequel to the blockbuster film Barbie, which grossed $1.5 billion worldwide and won an Oscar for best original song. The studio has until December to finalize a deal, as the rights to the sequel will revert to Mattel if they fail to reach an agreement, and David Zaslav previously declined a proposed deal he deemed “too generous.” Meanwhile, Gerwig and Noah Baumbach have been developing ideas for Barbie 2 for a couple of years, and Warner Bros. is offering the principal talent a share of the profits if the film hits certain box office milestones.