Barbie 2

The Barbie movie was a smash hit of the highest order. In fact, it has been such a hit since its July 21, 2023, premiere date talks seemed to already begin on a Barbie 2.

These talks have included Barbie director Greta Gerwig, Barbie herself, Margot Robbie (who also produced the film, and Mattel CEO Ynon Kreiz.

So, where do we stand on the possibility of a Barbie sequel? With box office records already set by the surprisingly effective film, it would be shocking if we didn’t see one sooner rather than later.

What do Gerwig, Robbie, and Kreiz have to say about it? Let’s find out.

Barbie Set Massive Records

Before we get into the nuts and bolts of the possibility of a Barbie 2, let’s take a look at why Warner Bros. and Mattel would be foolish not to follow up on this unexpected hit.

The film opened to a weekend haul of over $162 million domestically and by Monday, July 24, 2023, Barbie had brought in an impressive $400 million at the worldwide box office.

Contributing to those numbers was the Monday take of over $32 million, making it the highest Monday total for Warner Bros. in its history of filmmaking. For Gerwig, those numbers represent validation, not that she herself needed it.

When it was set and done, Barbie had totaled almost $1.5 billion at the box office. Movies simply don’t get as big as this one. It was a blockbuster’s blockbuster.

These numbers alone dictate that Barbie 2 is almost a sure bet. But don’t take our word for it. Let’s see what Barbie’s filmmakers have to say about it.

Greta Gerwig Deals On Barbie 2

So, director Greta Gerwig should be chomping at the bit to get rolling on a Barbie sequel, right? “At this moment, it’s all I’ve got.” Wait, what? Are you saying that the tank is empty? The thought of Barbie 2 isn’t first and foremost in your thought process right now.

“I wouldn’t want to squash anybody else’s dream, but for me, at this moment, I’m at totally zero.” – Greta Gerwig on Barbie 2

Well, according to Gerwig’s chat with The New York Times, “I feel like that at the end of every movie, like I’ll never have another idea and everything I’ve ever wanted to do, I did,” she explained to the outlet. “I wouldn’t want to squash anybody else’s dream, but for me, at this moment, I’m at totally zero.”

Now, Gerwig was not saying she isn’t excited, grateful, and more than a bit shocked by the reception of her film; she was just saying she was, at the moment, a little flummoxed and “at a loss for words” at the mass success of her movie.

“It’s been amazing to walk around and see people in pink,” she added. “Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine something like this.”

Gerwig did drop a huge name when discussing the notion of Barbie 2. Tapping into the fact that Ryan Gosling’s Ken has a certain reverence for uber-masculine figures such as Sylvester Stallone, Gerwig joked that Stallone was going to direct the next installment of Barbie. “I mean, he’s welcome to it. It would be an honor. It would be such an honor.”

Okay, so maybe Gerwig was not the first person to ask about the possibility of Barbie 2. She is obviously spent after giving everything she had to make the movie a possibility. But you’ve got to know the thought has crossed her mind more than once.

Margot Robbie Weighed In On Barbie 2

Margot Robbie is quite literally the perfect Barbie, although there had been some controversy about her feet. When the Barbie trailer showed Barbie stepping out of her heels with perfectly arched bare feet, the internet lit up about those not being Robbie’s feet.

But she was quick to respond, saying, “The shot took eight takes.” And they are most definitely Robbie’s feet. She also explained that she had to hold onto a bar to keep her feet so perfectly arched. Plus, “I really don’t like it when someone else does my hands or feet in an insert shot.”

Margot Robbie says she has already had conversations about Barbie 2

Feet aside, Robbie says she has already had conversations about Barbie 2, but nothing is even close to being decided upon.

She told TIME, “It could go a million different directions from this point,” she says. “But I think you fall into a bit of a trap if you try and set up a first movie whilst also planning for sequels.”

Mattel CEO Ynon Kreiz on Barbie 2

Mattel CEO Ynon Kreitz was a little more vanilla when talking about the possibility of Barbie 2, choosing to talk more about Mattel as a whole versus singling out Barbie.

“We’re looking to create movies that become cultural events. If you can excite filmmakers like Greta and Noah to embrace the opportunity and have creative freedom, you can have a real impact.”

Barbie 2’s Possible Plot

So, if we were to get a Barbie 2, what exactly would it look like? Not wanting to give away too much from the first film, especially for those who have yet to see it (what are you waiting for?), the decision Robbie’s Barbie makes at the conclusion of the film has the ability to take a second film in many directions, just like Robbie noted.

Real-world or Barbie land, a new Barbie or the old one. Gerwig, if she so desires to take on a sequel, could once again opt to play in both, using both. In fact, there would most likely be the need to introduce new Barbies, and Kens for that matter, to keep the story fresh and alive.

As for the story, that was a point of contention for Mattel’s COO Richard Dickson, to the point where he flew out to London to argue with both Gerwig and Robbie over a scene he felt was “off-brand.”

According to Gerwig, it was reported to be much more dramatic than the reality of the situation. “They were coming anyway, so it wasn’t like, ‘Stop everything, we all have to go to London!’” she said.

When Dickson arrived on set, Gerwig and Robbie felt that he needed to see the scene instead of reading it on the page. “When you look on the page, the nuance isn’t there, the delivery isn’t there,” Robbie said. But acting it out gave Dickson a little bit of relief and while not completely on board, it was agreed that the scene would be left in the film.

Ryan Gosling And Others Could Return For Barbie 2

There is probably no way Barbie 2 could have been made without Margot Robbie reprising the now iconic role. The same could be said about the scene-stealing Ryan Gosling as Ken, but then who else?

It has been noted that Gosling won the role as Ken based on his “Kenergy,” as casting directors Allison Jones and Lucy Bevan revealed, but they also revealed who wasn’t able to make the film for one reason or another.

Actors Daniel Levy, Bowen Yang, and Ben Platt all had to decline to be a Ken because of scheduling conflicts. So, it stands to reason that if (or shall we say when) Barbie 2 materializes, Gosling will be back, and with him, we might see various Ken’s being played by Levy, Yang, and Platt.

One big name that came up is the star of the other big film that opened the same weekend as Barbie.

Oppenheimer lead, Cillian Murphy was asked about Barbie and if he’d have any interest in playing a Ken in a potential Barbie sequel. “Would I play a Ken in Barbie 2? Sure, yeah,” was Murphy’s reply. “Let’s read the script, let’s have a conversation.”

It Is Going To Happen – Take Our Word On This

Make no mistake about it, at some point in the near future, we will be seeing Barbie 2 in movie theaters across the globe. The question remains as to how much Gerwig will be involved in the project.

Before she can even consider another Barbie film, Gerwig has to start preparing for her Chronicles of Narnia reboot for Netflix. So, until that project is complete, or near-complete, we might not hear much of a Barbie sequel. Once we do, though, we will be sure to pass that information along.

Go see Barbie, you won’t regret it.