Representatives for Warner Bros., Greta Gerwig, and Noah Baumbach have denied that a second ‘Barbie‘ film is in development and have stated that THR’s initial report is “inaccurate”.
According to a report by The Hollywood Reporter this afternoon, a Barbie sequel is apparently in the early stages of development. This news was fully expected given the $1.4 billion gross of the first film, but THR is reporting that Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach have finally settled on a story that would take the movie into a second part. It’s said to be in “early stages”, but far enough along for deals to be negotiated. However, it should be said that representatives for both Gerwig and Baumbach, and Warner Bros., have denied that this is the case. Per THR writer Chris Gardner‘s own words, representatives for the studio have branded the initial report as having “no legitimacy” and being “inaccurate“. It seems the Margot Robbie-led sequel may not be in development after all, according to WBD.
Barbie was critically acclaimed when it was released, and ended up being the highest grossing movie of 2023, while also netting eight Oscar nominations, including one for Robbie as Barbie, although Gerwig missed out on a directing nod. It won one Academy Award — Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell won for best original song with their hit “What Was I Made For”.
Is ‘Barbie’ Worth Seeing?
Collider‘s Ross Bonaime raved about the movie, hailing it for its ability to rise up beyond the cynicism that some could have by thinking it was just a fancy way of selling more dolls:
It’s easy to be cynical about a film like Barbie , a film that has at least partially been made to sell toys and even makes Mattel a part of the actual story. But Barbie is also an example of how getting the right people behind an unusual idea can make something truly beautiful come out of it, much like The Lego Movie or The Social Network before it. Gerwig has created a film that takes Barbie, praises its contribution as an idea to our world, but also criticizes its faults, while also making a film that celebrates being a woman and all the difficulties and beauty that includes. This also manages to be a film that feels decidedly in line with Gerwig’s previous films as she continues her streak as one of the most exciting filmmakers working today. Barbie could’ve just been a commercial, but Gerwig makes this life of plastic into something truly fantastic .
The first Barbie film is available to stream now on Max.
via Collider