Actor Margot Robbie’s Barbie sequel has stalled at Warner Bros. as the studio races to secure key contracts before the rights revert to Mattel in December.
Warner Bros. has not reached agreements with Robbie, actor Ryan Gosling or filmmaker Greta Gerwig, TheWrap reported, citing The New York Times.
Studio co-chairs Pam Abdy and Michael De Luca said Warner Bros. had made several substantial offers. However, the parties had not reached an agreement.
The report said Gosling sought $20 million to reprise his role as Ken. It did not disclose Robbie or Gerwig’s requested terms.
Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav considered the studio’s latest proposals too generous, according to the report. A company spokeswoman disputed that account.
She said talent representatives had not submitted counteroffers after rejecting Warner Bros.’ proposal in May.
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Gerwig and screenwriter Noah Baumbach already have an idea for the sequel. However, they have declined to begin writing until they complete their contracts.
The original film’s principal talent did not sign sequel clauses before the 2023 production. That omission requires Warner Bros. to negotiate new agreements separately.
Read: Greta Gerwig Begins Work on “Barbie 2” Following Original’s Box Office Triumph
Mattel CEO Ynon Kreiz said the company wanted its film projects to remain in active development. Mattel and Warner Bros. jointly produced and promoted the original “Barbie” film.
