Margot Robbie’s return as Barbie has reportedly been thrown into doubt after negotiations over a sequel to the $1.4 billion blockbuster apparently stalled amid a high-stakes dispute between its biggest stars and Warner Bros.
Margot Robbie’s return as Barbie has reportedly been thrown into doubt after negotiations over a sequel to the $1.4 billion blockbuster apparently stalled amid a high-stakes dispute between its biggest stars and Warner Bros
The 36-year-old Australian actor and producer is part of the core creative team negotiating over a second Barbie film alongside director and co-writer Greta Gerwig, co-writer Noah Baumbach and Ken star Ryan Gosling.
Variety has now reported Warner Bros has made more than six offers over the past three years for a follow-up to the crowd pleaser, but the publication has stated no agreement has been reached – leaving the future of the studio’s highest-grossing film apparently uncertain.
One studio source described the latest proposal, made in late spring, as “life-changing money”, telling Variety it represented the largest offer Warner Bros had made to a filmmaking team and its stars. Another deal source disputed the description, saying the combined cost of hiring all four might be historic but their individual compensation was not.
The negotiations follow the extraordinary success of Barbie, which became a global cultural phenomenon after its 2023 release and grossed more than $1.4 billion worldwide.
Margot starred as the title character and produced the film through LuckyChap Entertainment, while Greta directed from a screenplay she wrote with Noah.
Ryan’s performance as Ken earned him an Oscar nomination.
The original movie opened with Barbie living an apparently perfect existence in Barbie Land before experiencing an existential crisis that sends her into the real world.
Its cast also included America Ferrera, Will Ferrell, Kate McKinnon, Simu Liu, Issa Rae, Michael Cera and Helen Mirren.
None of the four central creatives were contractually obliged to make a sequel under their original deals, according to the Variety report.
Greta was not tied to another film when she agreed to direct Barbie, meaning Warner Bros has had to negotiate fresh contracts following the movie’s enormous commercial success.
The new financial demands reportedly involve increases in upfront fees and back-end participation. Ryan is said to be seeking $20 million to return as Ken, while Margot was initially projected to earn about $50 million in salary and back-end payments from Barbie.
A studio source told Variety her eventual compensation from the original film would finish “well ahead” of that figure.
One source said the team was satisfied with the upfront salaries being offered but remained unhappy with the back-end terms, although another source disputed both claims.
Variety reported the group is not seeking first-dollar gross participation.
The alleged standoff comes at another major moment in Margot’s career. She recently starred as Catherine “Cathy” Earnshaw opposite Jacob Elordi as Heathcliff in Emerald Fennell’s Wuthering Heights. The 2026 adaptation of Emily Brontë’s novel was written and directed by Emerald and also starred Hong Chau, Shazad Latif, Alison Oliver, Martin Clunes and Ewan Mitchell.
Margot also produced the film alongside Emerald and Josey McNamara.
Margot is also moving ahead with another Warner Bros project – an Ocean’s 11 prequel alongside Bradley Cooper.
Bradley is directing and producing the film as well as starring, with Wagner Moura in talks to join the cast.
Margot has said the story takes place around the 1962 Monaco Grand Prix and concerns the parents of Danny Ocean. The film is scheduled for June 2027.
The Barbie negotiations are unfolding as Warner Bros Discovery faces uncertainty of its own. Paramount’s proposed $111 billion acquisition of the company has been delayed amid an antitrust challenge from 12 US states. Paramount has agreed not to complete the transaction until after an antitrust trial or June 1, 2027, whichever comes first.
The original report said Warner Bros Discovery chief executive David Zaslav had resisted the creative team’s demands, while studio film chiefs Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdy were involved in efforts to secure another movie.
The contractual deadlock also has implications for Mattel, whose Barbie doll provided the intellectual property behind the film.
According to Variety, Warner Bros has a limited period in which to put another Barbie movie into active development before relevant rights revert to Mattel, potentially forcing the toy company to pursue a reboot rather than building directly on Greta’s film.
Greta and Noah have an idea for a sequel, according to two sources cited by Variety, but are reportedly unwilling to reveal it until agreements have been signed.
Representatives for the filmmakers, actors, Warner Bros, Mattel and CAA declined to comment to Variety.
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