Barbie 2 said to be in “early stages” of development, but the studio denies it

Barbie grossed $1.4 billion at the worldwide box office, which just so happens to be the secret number that typically unlocks an instant sequel. We haven’t heard all that much about a potential Barbie 2, but a “well-placed source” has told THR that Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach have finally come up with an idea for the sequel. Another source with direct knowledge says that the concept has been brought to Warner Bros. and is in the “early stages,” but the studio has denied it.

“THR’s reporting is inaccurate,” said a Warner Bros. representative, while a rep for Gerwig and Baumbach added, “There is no legitimacy to this reporting.“

This statement may be because the deal for Barbie 2 is still in the works. But whether the sequel is currently in development or not, I have little doubt that it will happen eventually. That said, the creative forces behind the massive hit thankfully have no desire to rush a sequel. In fact, Margot Robbie was skeptical about the chances of a follow-up when asked earlier this year. “It funny, that knee-jerk reaction in this day and age for everyone to immediately ask about a sequel,” she said. “I don’t think it was like that 20 years ago. This wasn’t designed to be a trilogy.“

Robbie was actually the one who first predicted that Barbie would gross $1 billion when she pitched the project, although, at the time, she thought she had oversold it. “I think my pitch in the green-light meeting was the studios have prospered so much when they’re brave enough to pair a big idea with a visionary director,” Robbie said. “And then I gave a series of examples like, ‘dinosaurs and [Steven] Spielberg,’ that and that, that and that – pretty much naming anything that’s been incredible and made a ton of money for the studios over the years. And I was like, ‘And now you’ve got Barbie and Greta Gerwig.’ And I think I told them that it’d make a billion dollars, which maybe I was overselling, but we had a movie to make, okay?!“

Would you like to see Barbie 2?