- According to reports, a Barbie sequel is officially in the works
- The Hollywood Reporter claims it is in “early development”
- Original screenwriters Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach could return
Barbie 2 is officially in the works with early reports suggesting a sequel to the 2023 blockbuster hit is in “early stages” of development.
Barbie hit cinemas in July 2023 on the same date as Christopher Nolan’s atomic bomb movie Oppenheimer. The pairing gave birth to the viral ‘Barbenheimer’ trend, with fans flocking to cinemas to catch both movies back-to-back.
However, it was director Greta Gerwig’s Barbie that ultimately emerged as the most successful of the two movies, bagging over $1.4 billion at the worldwide box office.
Read more: Everything we know about Christopher Nolan’s new film
Such high returns seemingly made a Barbie sequel all but inevitable. However, Gerwig and her husband and Barbie star Margot Robbie initially remained coy on the prospect of returning.
Things might have finally changed as The Hollywood Reporter has suggested that Barbie 2 is in the early stages of development, with Gerwig and Baumbach having finally landed on an idea for part 2.
The same outlet says that the duo have brought the idea to Warner Bros – but it also contains a note from the studio which states “There is no legitimacy to this reporting.”
Apparently, the studio is yet to officially give the project the green light.
What has Margot Robbie said about Barbie 2?
Before this news arrived, Robbie seemed cautious about the idea of returning.
“I think we put everything into this one. We didn’t build it to be a trilogy or something,” Robbie explained to the Associated Press. “Greta put everything into this movie, so I can’t imagine what would be next.”
Read more: Everything you need to know about Margot Robbie
Meanwhile, Gerwig was equally hesitant. “My North Star is, what do I deeply love? What do I really care about? What’s the story underneath this story?” Gerwig said while accepting Time’s Women of the Year honors in 2024.
“If I find the undertow, then we get it. If I don’t find an undertow, there’s no more.”
What else do we know about a Barbie sequel?
Well, as it stands – not much.
Seen as the movie has technically not yet received the green light, little is known about the project. This includes details of its potential stars or release date.
That said, if Gerwig and Baumbach have indeed found an idea exciting enough to convince them to return to Barbie’s pink Mattel world, it’s likely that Robbie and her Ken co-star Ryan Gosling will return too.
The first Barbie movie featured a huge ensemble cast that spanned Will Ferrell, Kate McKinnon, America Ferrera, Issa Rae, Simi Liu, Michael Cera and many, many more. It also featured cameos from the likes of Duo Lipa and Helen Mirren.
Whether or not any of these faces will return for Barbie 2 remains to be seen.
