‘Barbie’ sequel reportedly stalled as Warner Bros. face looming deal deadline

The Barbie sequel has reportedly hit a bump in the road, with pressure mounting to get a deal secured before the end of the year. Warner Bros. has until December to reach a deal with the stars of the 2023 film, Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, as well as director and co-writer Greta Gerwig, before the rights revert to Mattel, according to a new report from the New York Times. The studio has reportedly been negotiating with the talent for months, offering them a share of the profits if the film reaches certain box office milestones – notable given the 2023 original was a cultural phenomenon. The publication also claimed that David Zaslav, Warner Bros. Discovery CEO, had declined to approve the proposed deal because he believed it was “too generous”. A Warner Bros. spokesperson disputed that characterisation, telling The Times that talent representatives declined an offer made back in May and had not yet submitted a counteroffer. Ryan Gosling and Margot Robbie in ‘Barbie’ CREDIT: Jaap Buitendijk/Warner Bros. “We have a rights deal with Mattel in place and have made a series of big offers to try and finalize deals to make the next Barbie film,” studio co-chairs Pam Abdy and Michael De ...