Well, as we said yesterday, a sequel to the billion-dollar grossing “Barbie” isn’t coming any time soon. No, not because writer/director Greta Gerwig said, why does it need to be that and why can’t it be an original project [paraphrasing], but because the filmmaker has two “Narnia” movies to make at Netflix first, so even if she was dying to make a sequel herself, it would be likely five years away at least, if Gerwig herself was directing.
But in a sign that Mattel wants more and will work with anyone to do it, the Toy company is apparently working with Illumination Studios to make an animated “Barbie” movie according to Puck’s Matt Belloni. The animated Illumination studio is best known for the “Despicable Me” films and is generally associated with Universal Pictures.
Puck reports that due to the slowness of getting a “Barbie” sequel going, Mattel, who still owns the animation rights, has been in serious talks with Illumination to give the franchise a “Super Mario Bros.”-like treatment (“Super Mario Bros. grossed over $1 billion too).
“Barbie” is over at Warner Bros. Discovery, and the report says WBD, Gerwig, and Robbie are aware that talks are happening and “aren’t thrilled” about it. Mattel and Illumination declined to comment to Puck.
Frankly, it’s just capitalism and makes sense. Mattel made a shit-ton of money and millions in free advertising for “Barbie” with the movie’s success, and no company ever sets a hot property to stay idle.
Mattel surely wants more “Barbie” in any way they can manage—it’s great for their toy product and the revenue they get from licensing the toy to movie studios—so this was bound to happen in some way or another.
The big question is likely this: if Gerwig is tied up for a few years, and she is, maybe this might motivate Warner Bros. to see if Margot Robbie would be willing to star in a sequel that isn’t written and directed by Gerwig. If that’s the case, maybe they’d be desperate enough to do a kind of Barbie spin-off with new actors? Time will tell, but surely WBD and not just Mattel would love to see a sequel in the works sooner rather than later.