Warner Bros. races to secure Barbie sequel before December deadline
Warner Bros. Discovery is negotiating new contracts with Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling and director Greta Gerwig for a sequel to the 2023 blockbuster "Barbie." The studio has until December 2024 to reach agreements, or the film rights will revert to toy maker Mattel. Reports say Gosling is seeking a $20 million payment and a share of box‑office profits, offers that CEO David Zaslav has deemed "too generous." Talent representatives declined the studio’s May offer and have not submitted a counter‑proposal. Co‑chairs Pam Abdy and Michael De Luca said the studio has a rights deal with Mattel and has made multiple large offers, but no deal has been finalized. The sequel’s creative team, Greta Gerwig and her writing partner Noah Baumbach, have a story outline ready but will not begin writing until contracts are settled. The stalled negotiations come as Warner Bros.’ planned merger with Paramount has been suspended, adding pressure on the studio to retain its most lucrative franchise. The original "Barbie" earned roughly $1.4‑$1.5 billion worldwide, making it Warner Bros.’ highest‑grossing film and a major cultural event.
Entities: Barbie · Disney · Greta Gerwig · Margot Robbie · Mattel · Ryan Gosling · Warner Bros. Discovery
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 13 SOURCES] Negotiations stalled over profit‑participation and a $20 million offer to actor Ryan Gosling. (New York Times reports and multiple articles cite the $20 M demand and stalled talks.)
- [● 13 SOURCES] Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav rejected the offers as too generous. (Multiple reports attribute the rejection to Zaslav.)
- [● 13 SOURCES] If no agreement is reached by December, the Barbie rights will revert to Mattel. (Stated in multiple reports.)
- [● 13 SOURCES] The planned merger between Warner Bros. Discovery and Paramount has been suspended. (Mentioned in several articles as context for Warner Bros.' situation.)
- [DISPUTED] Warner Bros. must finalize a Barbie sequel agreement by December 2024 or lose the rights to Mattel. (Deadline reported by The New York Times and echoed across articles.)
- [● 13 SOURCES] Director Greta Gerwig and writer Noah Baumbach have a story outline ready for Barbie 2. (Confirmed by reports that the creative team has a ready concept.)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Ryan Gosling is slated to star as Ghost Rider in a 2028 Marvel Studios film. (Article 22bc1746)
- [● 13 SOURCES] Barbie earned roughly $1.4‑$1.5 billion worldwide, the highest‑grossing Warner Bros. film. (Box‑office figures cited across reports.)