“Barbie 2” is coming back: Skydance lays the foundations for Greta Gerwig’s sequel — talks with Margot Robbie have begun

When it seemed “Barbie 2” had died because of costs, the winds are changing. As Variety announces, with Skydance’s purchase of Warner Bros. Discovery closing next week, the wheels have begun to move to secure the sequel to Greta Gerwig’s 2023 blockbuster — and an inside source describes it as inevitable: “There is no way ‘Barbie 2’ is not happening.”

According to Variety, Paramount’s film executives Dana Goldberg and Josh Greenstein — who are expected to oversee the film labels of both studios — have already contacted Margot Robbie and her partners at LuckyChap, even before David Ellison takes the keys to the company. Another positive signal: Ellison has just appointed former Mattel chief executive Ynon Kreiz as co-CEO of the new company — the man who helped turn “Barbie” into a one-billion-dollar cinematic event.

The real reason for the halt was money. Robbie and Ryan Gosling had no sequel deal when the first film was shot, and after the colossal success, both asked for more in order to return. Gerwig is said to have an idea for the sequel, but will not reveal it until the deal is made. Former Warner executives Pam Abdy and Michael De Luca had publicly acknowledged that they had made big offers, but without reaching an agreement — both are now out, while David Zaslav is said to have played hardball with the “Barbie” team.

The clock is ticking. If Warner Bros. has no deal with Gerwig, Robbie and Gosling by December, the “Barbie” rights revert to Mattel — and only two months remain. Knowing Ellison’s obsession with intellectual property, it would be no surprise if announcements of signed deals come soon.