Two weeks ago came the news that time was running out on a “Barbie” sequel as Warner Bros. Pictures needs to lock down a deal with writer/director Greta Gerwig along with actress/producer Margot Robbie, actor Ryan Gosling and co-writer Noah Baumbach before December.
If one isn’t made by then, Barbie IP owners Mattel would have to exit from Warner Bros. and essentially reboot it all over again – no talent or story elements from the original will be allowed.
Warner Bros. was also said to have been negotiating with Gerwig and Gosling for months, but those talks have stalled as Warner Bros. Discovery chief David Zaslav has taken a stand against massive pay demands.
Now, Variety has further details. They indicate that the studio has made more than six offers in the past three years, all of which have been rejected.
A studio source says the offers were the highest Warner Bros. has ever offered for a filmmaking team and its stars, dubbing it “life-changing money”. The deal includes pay bumps in upfront fees and generous increases in back-end participation (though not first dollar gross).
A secondary source adds that while the overall ‘package’ has set a benchmark, the individual compensation does not set any record. CAA, which represents all four, has not countered the latest offer. One pay offer was revealed, with Gosling said to be asking for $20 million. Robbie would likely get considerably more (she is said to have earned over $50 million on the first film in acting/producing roles).
All of this comes about because the previous deals with them included zero legal obligations for a sequel, meaning new negotiations had to take place.
The trade also confirms reports that Gerwig and Baumbach have an idea for a sequel but aren’t sharing it until agreements are signed.
The sources say the sequel will not move forward unless Warner Bros. comes around, with everyone at the studio keen to move forward bar Zaslav. One rival exec summed it up to the trade: “Classic Zas”.
One possibility is that should the Paramount-Warner deal go through, David Ellison could “reactivate the Mattel rights and bring the creatives back into the fold”.
