Zaslav Blocks Barbie Sequel Pay Raises
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- Warner Bros. has been negotiating with Greta Gerwig, Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling on a Barbie sequel, trying to finalize deals before the studio's rights revert to Mattel in December
- Ryan Gosling is asking for $20 million to reprise his Ken role, with proposed deals including a cut of box-office revenues if the sequel hits a certain benchmark — terms Warner Bros. boss David Zaslav feels are too generous to approve
- Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach have an idea for the new film but are withholding the concept from the studio until talent deals are complete, according to the New York Times
- If Warner Bros. fails to reach agreement by December, Mattel would have to redevelop the IP with a new filmmaker, cast and concept — losing the original creative team behind the $1.4 billion-grossing, eight-Oscar-nominated hit
- Margot Robbie is set to start production on an Ocean's 11 prequel for Warner Bros., while Gosling has announced Marvel's Ghost Rider (2028) and must promote Star Wars: Starfighter (May 28, 2027), complicating sequel scheduling
- Warner Bros. co-chairs Pam Abdy and Michael De Luca confirmed the talks in a statement, saying the studio has 'made a series of big offers' but 'have been unable to reach an agreement thus far'
Why it matters: Warner Bros. faces a hard December deadline: if Zaslav doesn't approve Gosling's $20 million ask and box-office participation deals, the studio loses the entire Barbie IP — a franchise that earned $1.4 billion and 8 Oscar nominations — to Mattel, who would relaunch it with entirely new cast and filmmaker, erasing the value of the original hit.
