The highly popular film ‘Barbie,’ which grossed over $1.4 billion worldwide (approximately 5.73 billion Malaysian Ringgit), may face difficulties producing a sequel, as studio executives are unwilling to accept the lead actors Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling’s higher pay and profit-sharing contract demands for the next installment.
The latest report from The New York Times reveals that Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav is hesitant to offer Margot and Ryan a lucrative sequel contract with profit participation. ‘Barbie’ was nominated for 8 Oscars, while Ryan was nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his role as ‘Ken.’ According to reports, Ryan is seeking to raise his salary to $20 million (about 81.91 million Malaysian Ringgit).
It’s reported that ‘Barbie’ director Greta Gerwig has already developed ideas for a new movie direction, but they won’t disclose these concepts to the studio until relevant contracts are finalized. Warner Bros. hopes to settle the contracts before December, when the film rights revert to Barbie doll maker Mattel. If a deal with the ‘Barbie’ film team cannot be reached by the deadline, Mattel would have to redevelop the IP, which could mean an entirely new crew, cast, and concept for the movie.
Source: Central News Agency