- A new report suggests a Barbie sequel is in the works
- That said, the film has yet to receive the green light
- Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie’s 2023 movie was a huge hit
Barbie 2 is reportedly in the works so the world better stock up on more pink paint.
The last time we saw Barbie on screen, the movie used up so much pink that it contributed to a worldwide shortage. It was worth it though. Released in July 2023, director Greta Gerwig’s wild adaptation of Mattel’s classic doll starring Margot Robbie in the leading role was an undisputed mega-hit.
Paired with the same release date as Christopher Nolan’s stark bomb drama Oppenheimer, the two movies spawned the cinema craze known as ‘Barbenheimer.’
It convinced people to double-bill both movies in one go and while the move was successful for each film, it was Gerwig’s Barbie that clocked up the most box office receipts.
Read more: Everything you need to know about Margot Robbie
In fact, at the time of writing, Barbie has earned over a billion dollars worldwide making talk of a sequel all but inevitable. However, what is the status of Barbie 2 – is it going ahead and if so, what will it be about?
While the project is still very much in its early stages, here’s all we know so far about a potential Barbie sequel.
Will there be a Barbie sequel?
According to an article by The Hollywood Reporter, a Barbie sequel is in the early stages of development.
The same outlet claims Gerwig and her writing partner and husband Noah Baumbach had landed on a potential sequel idea and had taken it to Warner Bros.
However, before we run out and buy more pink accessories it’s worth noting the article also includes a response from the studio which says The Hollywood Reporters claims are untrue.
“There is no legitimacy to this reporting,” said a representative for both Gerwig and Baumbach. Meanwhile, a Warner Bros. representative adds, “THR’s reporting is inaccurate.”
Gerwig and Baumbach wrote the script for the original Barbie movie which followed Barbie’s journey to reality after losing her spark in her plastic Barbie world.
Previous to this report, Gerwig has remained noncommittal about returning for another Barbie movie, hitting home how it all comes back to the story.
“My North Star is, what do I deeply love? What do I really care about? What’s the story underneath this story?” said the director whilst accepting Time’s Women of the Year honors in early 2024.
“If I find the undertow, then we get it. If I don’t find an undertow, there’s no more.”
Robbie has been equally vague about going back to the well.
“I think we put everything into this one. We didn’t build it to be a trilogy or something,” Robbie told the Associated Press. “Greta put everything into this movie, so I can’t imagine what would be next.”
As it stands, Gerwig’s next official project is an adaptation of two stories from C.S Lewis’ The Chronicles of Narnia for Netflix.
Who would return for Barbie 2?
Seen as the Barbie sequel has yet to receive an official green light from Warner Bros., it remains unclear who might return.
While it’s hard to imagine Barbie 2 without Robbie’s titular platinum-blonde heroine, it’s certainly not impossible. One of the big hooks to Gerwig’s toybox world was that it featured multiple Barbies and multiple Kens – which could mean that a sequel could follow any one of them.
That would mean that Robbie’s own Ken, played by a scene-stealing Ryan Gosling, could sit out Barbie 2 as well.
However, considering how successful the first movie was, it’s unlikely that fans would be satisfied with this route – so perhaps we should expect Robbie and Gosling to return.
Gerwig’s film featured a starry ensemble cast that boasted the likes of Michael Cera, Kate McKinnon, Will Ferrell, America Ferrera and Simi Liu. It also had cameos from the likes of Dua Lipa, Helen Mirren and John Cena.
It’s unclear if any of these faces would be back – but with such a blue-sky world to play with, nothing is off the table at this stage.
