Barbie 2 is finally moving forward.
With the Paramount and Warner Bros. merger closing Tuesday, Variety reports the new regime is already working to lock in a sequel to Greta Gerwig’s Barbie, with a source saying, “There’s no way Barbie 2 doesn’t happen.”
New film bosses Dana Goldberg and Josh Greenstein have been reaching out to Margot Robbie and her LuckyChap partners.
Barbie cost $128 million and made $1.44 billion worldwide in 2023, the biggest movie of the year and the biggest in Warner Bros. history. A sequel still never got made.
The Sequel David Zaslav Wouldn’t Make
Variety previously reported that sequel talks flatlined over costs, with Warner Bros. making multiple offers over three years that went nowhere.
As we covered last month, the studio faces a December deadline to sign Gerwig and Robbie before the Barbie movie rights revert to Mattel, and Zaslav was reported as the holdup.
Zaslav is out when the merger closes.
And the Mattel problem now reads a lot differently.
David Ellison named former Mattel CEO Ynon Kreiz as Skydance’s Co-CEO. Kreiz ran Mattel when Barbie was developed and released. Turning the toy company into a movie studio was his plan.
The executive who made Barbie happen on Mattel’s side now helps run the studio that releases it. Green lighting the sequel is a no-brainer.
Who Is Running What At Skydance
The Barbie 2 news caps a week of executive moves ahead of Tuesday’s close, with official announcements expected early next week.
The combined company is named Skydance, with Paramount and Warner Bros. continuing as the studio brands. Ellison is CEO, with Kreiz as Co-CEO.
Goldberg and Greenstein take over the film side, overseeing both Warner Bros. and Paramount Pictures, with Deadline reporting New Line boss Richard Brener is staying on under them.
Warner Bros. film chiefs Mike De Luca and Pam Abdy are out. Variety reports Friday was expected to be their last day on the Burbank lot.
James Gunn and Peter Safran keep running DC Studios, for now.
Casey Bloys is expected to run all of streaming following Cindy Holland’s exit.
And George Cheeks adds all three TV studios, Warner Bros. Television, CBS Studios, and Paramount Television Studios, per Deadline, with Channing Dungey, Matt Thunell, and David Stapf staying on under him.
The merger closes Tuesday, October 6. Barbie 2 already looks like first in line.
