Barbie was more than just a critically acclaimed cultural phenomenon in 2023. It also made Warner Bros. and Mattel a truckload of money; $1.45B to be exact. Do you think any studio would just let something like that go? Of course not, and while there’s been a lot of hand wringing about whether there would be a sequel…come on, it was always going to happen. And now it seems the first steps have been taken.
THR reports that Barbie 2 is in early development with Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach finally cracking a story idea. Take this with a pinch of salt, though, as Warner Bros. and agents for Gerwig and Baumbach deny it’s true.
“There is no legitimacy to this reporting,” says Gerwig and Baumbach’s rep, while a Warner Bros. rep adds, “THR’s reporting is inaccurate.”
If it does turn out to be accurate, both creatives will need to ink new deals as neither signed on for a Barbie sequel. Gerwig directed and co-wrote the hit film with Baumbach joining her on the script.
There’s also some doubt that Gerwig will return behind the camera or if someone else could take over. She has a pair of Narnia movies to direct for Netflix that will occupy quite a few years. Baumbach is also busy with an untitled movie he co-wrote the Emily Mortimer and features George Clooney, Adam Sandler, Laura Dern, Billy Crudup, and Riley Keough.
If Warner Bros. decides it doesn’t want to wait, a new director of Gerwig’s choosing could take over while she moves to a writer/producer role. We’ll just have to wait and see what happens, but for now it looks as if we’ll be returning to Barbie’s dream house after all.
