Greta Gerwig Isn’t Sure We Need a Barbie Sequel

Barbie took the world by storm in 2023. The smash-hit movie directed by Greta Gerwig became an international sensation, resulting in audiences of all ages falling in love with Margot Robbie as Barbie, and briefly causing a national shortage of pink paint thanks to its elaborate sets. While the movie was a phenomenon both critically and commercially, Gerwig might be disappointing some fans by shooting down the prospect of a potential sequel.

During a recent interview with 60 Minutes, Greta Gerwig was asked about returning to the director’s chair for a second Barbie movie. Gerwig, who has never directed a sequel in her career, revealed she doesn’t plan to start with Barbie 2. The director said she’s interested in working on a similar style of film — meaning one based on a major IP — as long as she’s given the freedom to truly develop her own story, like she did with Barbie. However, she wants to avoid an obvious cash grab sequel. Gerwig said:

“Why can’t it be another big, original, bold idea where we get an amazing filmmaker, a big budget to play with, and the trust of a huge conglomerate behind them to go and really play? I want to do that.”

Barbie

4.5/5

Release Date July 21, 2023

Cast Margot Robbie , Ryan Gosling , Simu Liu , Ariana Greenblatt , Helen Mirren , Nicola Coughlan , John Cena , Will Ferrell , Ritu Arya , Michael Cera , America Ferrera , Alexandra Shipp , Kate McKinnon

Runtime 114 Minutes

Greta Gerwig Is Undecided About a Barbie Sequel

Greta Gerwig’s latest stance on a Barbie sequel has left some fans confused. When the movie first came out and dominated at the box office alongside Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer, Gerwig was reluctant to return. However, Gerwig revealed earlier this year that she was open to the idea of returning for a potential sequel. Following Ryan Gosling’s excellent live performance of “I’m Just Ken” at the 96th Academy Awards in March, Gerwig revealed that she’s not resisting the lure of returning to helm a sequel, simply saying:

“I’m not dismissing it, I want to do it.”

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However, her current stance seems to have reverted to her initial apprehension about Barbie 2. Whatever Gerwig decides to do, it is almost undeniable that some form of Barbie sequel or spinoff is coming in the future. It’s incredibly rare that a movie grossing well over $1 billion at the box office isn’t turned into a franchise. In the case of Barbie, it’s already happening without Gerwig’s involvement. Greta Gerwig’s Barbie featured many iterations of the beloved character. Following the movie’s release in 2023, Ynon Kreiz, the CEO of Mattel, revealed that the company is developing several spinoffs based on the different versions of the beloved doll. He said:

“Barbie, as a brand, has many different iterations. The product lines of Barbie is a very broad brand. In addition to the main Barbie figure, she has family, she has a lot of elements around in her universe. It’s a very rich universe… It’s a very broad and very elastic brand, in terms of opportunities.”

As for Greta Gerwig, her directorial career is heading towards another beloved franchise. The four-time Oscar nominated director is currently developing a Chronicles of Narnia movie, based on the beloved novels by C.S. Lewis, for Netflix. Gerwig is also as much an actor as she is a director, and is set to appear on-screen in Noah Baumbach’s next (currently untitled) movie.

Barbie
is streaming on Max.

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