Now that “Barbie” has officially crossed the $1 billion mark at the worldwide box office, speculation about a potential sequel has intensified tenfold. Greta Gerwig, who directed “Barbie” in addition to co-writing its script with Noah Baumbach,toldThe New York Timesshe has no ideas yet for a “Barbie 2.” However, she also told People magazine before the film joined the $1 billion club that she hoped her movie “is the launch of a world and a bunch of different Barbie movies.”
“There’s a tone and a humor and a joy, and obviously the world is so beautiful,” Gerwig told the publication. “Iwant togo back to Barbie Land.”
Margot Robbie was less assertive when asked about a “Barbie” sequel in pre-release interviews. Not only does Robbie play the eponymous doll in the blockbuster comedy, but she also produced the film.
“It could go a million different directions from this point,” Robbie told Time magazine before the film even opened. “But I think you fall into a bit of a trap if you try and set up a first movie whilst also planning for sequels.”
“At this moment, it’s all I’ve got,” Gerwig said in The New York Times interview when asked about a sequel right after the film opened to $163 million. “I feel like that at the end of every movie, like I’ll never have another idea and everything I’ve ever wanted to do, I did. I wouldn’t want to squash anybody else’s dream but for me, at this moment, I’m at totally zero.”
Surely Warner Bros. and Mattel are going to want a “Barbie” sequel, given the $1 billion success of the movie. As Mattel CEO Ynon Kreiz told PvNew, “Successful movies lend themselves to more movies. Our ambition is to create film franchises.”
“At the outset, we’re not saying, ‘Okay, let’s think already about movie two and three.’ Let’s get the first one right and make that a success,” Kreiz added, while calling “Barbie” a “very rich universe” to mine. “And if you do that, opportunities open up very quickly, once you establish the first movie as a successful representation of a franchise on the big screen.”
“Barbie” is now playing in theaters nationwide.
