Skydance co-CEO Ynon Kreiz would not say when a “Barbie” sequel might get a green light, telling reporters Tuesday it is “too early to talk about that.” The comment came at the first press conference after Paramount closed its $110 billion takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery.
The response carries weight because Kreiz ran Mattel when the toy maker partnered with Warner Bros. on Greta Gerwig’s 2023 hit. That film earned about $1.44 billion worldwide against a $128 million budget, making it the highest-grossing release in the studio’s history. Kreiz now sits on the other side of the negotiating table as one of two leaders of the combined company.
The sequel stalled long before the merger closed. Warner Bros. chief David Zaslav reportedly resisted paying the higher fees sought by the film’s creative team, which includes star and producer Margot Robbie and Gerwig. Talks flatlined over cost. A first-look deal for Gerwig’s partner, Noah Baumbach, at Warner’s Clockwork label did not extend to the sequel, according to Deadline. Zaslav departed when the merger closed, and Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdy are also leaving their posts running Warner’s film division.
Skydance’s film chiefs, Dana Goldberg and Josh Greenstein, now oversee both Warner Bros. and Paramount Pictures. Variety reported they began contacting Robbie and her LuckyChap partners before the deal closed. One source in that report was blunt about the outlook: “There’s no way ‘Barbie 2’ doesn’t happen.” Another account says Gerwig and Baumbach have an idea ready and are prepared to start writing but are not sharing it with the studio. That claim rests on a single report.
Goldberg and Greenstein also inherit 36 dated Warner Bros. releases, and the company has said it intends to keep each studio’s legacy and brand intact. The agenda is crowded, and the Skydance executives have already signaled layoffs ahead.
Kreiz’s brief answer leaves the project in a familiar position: wanted by everyone, funded by no one. Robbie, Gerwig and Skydance have not announced any agreement.
