Barbie 2 just hit a major roadblock, and fans aren’t going to like what Mattel’s new co-CEO had to say about the sequel’s future. Here’s what the latest Skydance leadership shakeup means for Margot Robbie and Greta Gerwig’s billion-dollar franchise.
It’s too early to talk Barbie 2, but there’s hope
Skydance co-CEO Ynon Kreiz said it is “too early to talk about that” when asked about the status of Barbie 2 at the company’s Tuesday presser, Deadline reported. Kreiz, the former Mattel CEO, played a key role in the original 2023 Warner Bros. film. That movie earned $1.44 billion worldwide and became the studio’s highest-grossing release ever.
The sequel faced significant obstacles before the Paramount-Warner Bros. merger. Former WBD CEO David Zaslav reportedly resisted paying higher fees for the CAA-repped Barbie team. That group includes stars Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, director Greta Gerwig, and co-writer Noah Baumbach.
Warners struck a first-look deal with Baumbach, but only through its specialty label Clockwork. The film rights faced a year-end deadline to revert back to Mattel. That timeline would have forced the toymaker to start over with a completely new project and new talent. However, the newly merged Skydance now brings a shift in leadership and priorities.
Kreiz now sits on the other side of the negotiating table as co-CEO. Skydance Motion Picture Group co-chairs Dana Goldberg and Josh Greenstein are sorting through priorities. They are also inheriting 36 Warner Bros. theatrical releases and evaluating the development status of many projects.
Other inherited titles also need attention from the new leadership team. An untitled Baz Luhrmann film remains in pre-production and has not begun shooting yet. The Weapons prequel Gladys has a new draft but still needs a director for its September 2028 date. As for Barbie 2, the new Skydance regime appears focused on honoring each studio’s legacy. That philosophy could bode well for the sequel’s future under new management.
