A bitter pay dispute and a ticking clock on intellectual property rights are threatening to derail a sequel to the cultural phenomenon Barbie, as Warner Bros. struggles to meet the soaring salary demands of its Oscar-nominated star Ryan Gosling.
The price of plastic fantastic
The dream of a return to Barbie Land is turning into a logistical and financial nightmare for Warner Bros. While director Greta Gerwig and co-writer Noah Baumbach have reportedly conjured a concept for a follow-up to the billion-dollar blockbuster, the studio is baulking at locking in its lead talent, placing the entire project in jeopardy.
Central to the impasse is Ryan Gosling, whose scene-stealing, power-ballad-belting performance as Ken earned him an Academy Award nomination. Having pocketed $12.5 million for the first film, sources indicate the actor is now seeking a substantial raise to $20 million for a potential sequel. Margot Robbie, who produced and starred as the titular doll, is also awaiting a new deal, though the negotiations remain at a stalemate as neither party originally signed a multi-picture contract.
A race against the toymaker’s clock
The tension is heightened by a severe deadline that has little to do with actors’ schedules. The rights to the franchise are set to revert from Warner Bros. to toy manufacturer Mattel as early as December. Should the two entertainment giants fail to reach an accord on the financial terms, the studio risks losing its grip on the IP entirely, forcing Mattel to begin the arduous process of rebooting the franchise from scratch with a new director, new cast, and a completely different creative vision.
For now, Gerwig and Baumbach are keeping their narrative plans under lock and key, unwilling to reveal their pitch for a second instalment until the contractual gridlock is resolved.
Scheduling in the DreamHouse
Even if the pay dispute is settled, crafting a seamless shooting schedule looks increasingly complex. Robbie is currently occupied filming a prequel to Ocean’s Eleven, which is slated for release in June 2027, sharply narrowing her availability.
Gosling’s dance card is proving even trickier. The actor is preparing for a massive global press tour for his upcoming Star Wars film, which hits cinemas on 28 May 2027. Beyond that, he is attached to step into a very different blockbuster universe, reportedly planning to shoot Marvel’s Ghost Rider reboot in 2028. Squeezing a trip back to the Malibu DreamHouse into that tight window, before Mattel’s rights expire, appears to be a puzzle with no easy solution.
