Greta Gerwig responds to rumours that a Barbie movie sequel is in the ‘early stages’

Greta Gerwig has responded to rumours that a Barbie movie sequel is in the “early stages” of development. 

The Margot Robbie-fronted comedy/fantasy film was hailed as the “triumph of the year” in 2023 after creating undeniable hype with its all-star cast and iconic method-dressing moments on the red carpet.

The movie broke several box office records, with director Gerwig earning the biggest box office opening for any female director. As per Variety, the film garnered a huge $155 million in the US on opening, and $182 million internationally. 

So, it’s only natural that fans of the film are waiting with bated breath to see whether a Barbie movie sequel will come to fruition. A source told The Hollywood Reporter that the sequel is in the “early stages” of development, and Gerwig and co-writer and husband Noah Baumbach reportedly already brought an idea to Warner Bros.

However, representatives for Gerwig and Baumbach have responded to the claims, denying that a follow-up is in the works. “There is no legitimacy to his reporting,” they said. 

A representative for Warner Bros. also responded, adding: “The Hollywood Reporter’s reporting is inaccurate.”

Gerwig told Time’s Women of the Year honours in March this year that she would consider a follow-up if she found an “undertow” for the story. 

“My North Star is, ‘what do I deeply love? What do I really care about? What’s the story underneath this story?’ If I find the undertow, then we get it. If I don’t find an undertow, there’s no more.”

For the director, the “undertow” in the first Barbie movie was intergenerational views of the doll. “I remember going to Toys R Us and looking at the Barbies, and I loved their hair. And I loved everything about them. And my mom was not sure about it. And I thought that’s the story,” she told the outlet.

• Dec 01 2023

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