Margot Robbie is said to have earned $50 million for her work starring in and producing the blockbuster "Barbie," a figure that is now reportedly contributing to the delay of a potential sequel. Negotiations for a follow-up film are stalled due to the high salary expectations of Robbie, Ryan Gosling, and other key cast members, according to recent reports.
Robbie's payday includes her acting fee and producer credits for the film, which grossed over $1.4 billion worldwide. Warner Bros. has made multiple offers to the creative team in the three years since "Barbie's" release, but these have reportedly been rejected.
Gosling is allegedly seeking $20 million to reprise his Oscar-nominated role as Ken. Sources indicate that the studio's offers, which reportedly include profit participation for the principal talent contingent on box office success, have been deemed too generous by Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav, who has not yet approved them.
Studio co-chairs Pam Abdy and Michael De Luca confirmed that while a rights deal with Mattel is in place, they have been unable to reach an agreement with the talent for a second "Barbie" film. A deal must be finalized before the rights to the film revert to Mattel in December.
Director Greta Gerwig and her partner Noah Baumbach, who were nominated for an Oscar for the original script, are reportedly developing ideas for a sequel. Gerwig has previously expressed a preference for not sharing her ideas too early in the development process to avoid compromising the final product.