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The sequel to "Barbie," the live-action blockbuster that grossed over $1.4 billion worldwide three years ago, has reportedly hit a major snag.
A report from The New York Times (NYT) this morning revealed that Warner Bros. Pictures is struggling to sign deals with the core creative team from the first film. Director and co-writer Greta Gerwig, co-writer Noah Baumbach, star and producer Margot Robbie, and star Ryan Gosling have not yet agreed to return. If a deal isn't finalized by December, Warner Bros.' production rights will expire and revert to Mattel, who could then shop the property to another studio for a reboot or a new version.
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According to the report, the impasse stems from high salary demands from the cast and creators. For instance, Gosling is reportedly asking for $20 million plus additional box office participation. However, Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav is said to be unwilling to agree to the terms, feeling the threshold to trigger Gosling's box office bonus is too low. This bonus structure requires the studio to share a percentage of the profits with the star once the film reaches a certain box office milestone.
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A spokesperson for Warner Bros. stated that the talent rejected the studio's latest offer in May but denied that Zaslav had vetoed terms agreed upon by other executives. The "Barbie" situation is unique; unlike most IP-driven films that lock talent into multi-picture deals, the original contracts for "Barbie" did not include sequel options. Warner Bros. reportedly agreed to this condition to secure the A-list team for the first movie.
Furthermore, Gerwig and Baumbach have made it clear to Warner Bros. during negotiations that they already have a story they want to tell for the sequel and are ready to begin work. However, the studio remains in the dark about their concept, as the duo will not reveal the story or start writing the script until a formal agreement is in place.
via： The New York Times