Warner Bros. Faces Negotiation Delays for 'Barbie 2' Amid Talent Talks

Will SayreSun, August 2, 2026 at 4:39 AM UTC

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Will "Barbie 2" ever see the light of day? Fans are eagerly waiting.

Blockbusters like The Odyssey and Spider-Man: Brand New Day are ruling the current box office, and three years ago it was the summer of "Barbenheimer."

Barbie in particular made roughly $1.5 billion at the box office, and enough time has passed for die-hards to be itching for any updates regarding a follow-up.

On Friday, July 31, The New York Times reported that the project has hit a roadblock of sorts. Warner Bros. still needs to reach agreements with the talent involved in the first film, including writer-director Greta Gerwig as well as stars Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling. The studio chiefs have been negotiating with the talent for months, the Times also noted.

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While negotiations continue, industry whizzes know all about the pending merger between Warner Bros. Discovery and Paramount, which was just put on hold following a lawsuit. That means Warner Bros. needs to keep operating independently, and Barbie remains front and center in the studio's strategy.

Gerwig, 42, and her writing partner and husband, Noah Baumbach, have made it clear in negotiations that they have a story they want to tell and are ready to begin writing, per the Times — but Warner Bros. doesn’t know what the idea is. And the pair won’t tell the studio, or begin writing, until the deal is done.

Meanwhile, Gerwig is finishing up Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew for Netflix, which recently delayed the film's release date from November of this year to February of 2027. It comes down to getting a bigger theatrical focus, to all the fans who were bummed upon hearing the news. This is good in the grander scheme of things, as a fantasy story of this magnitude deserves to be on the big screen for as long as possible.

This story was originally published by Parade on Aug 2, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”