Warner Bros. Discovery stalls Barbie sequel over star pay demands

Warner Bros. Discovery’s plans for a sequel to the 2023 blockbuster "Barbie" have stalled as salary negotiations with the film’s lead talent remain unresolved. Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling and director Greta Gerwig are seeking higher compensation, with Gosling reportedly demanding a $20 million fee and profit‑participation clauses. Studio chief David Zaslav has refused to approve the proposed packages, and the studio says the talent have rejected its latest offers.

The dispute comes as the studio’s rights to produce a sequel expire in December; if no agreement is reached, the rights will revert to Mattel, the doll maker, which could then assign the project to another studio. The original film earned roughly $1.4‑$1.5 billion worldwide and became Warner Bros.’ highest‑grossing release, heightening the stakes of the negotiations.

Warner Bros. co‑chairs Pam Abdy and Michael De Luca have confirmed ongoing talks and emphasized the urgency, noting that the creative team has a story ready but cannot move forward without contracts in place.