After years of negotiating, it appears to be like like a sequel to Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie,” starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, goes to remain within the field, by no means to be performed with. In accordance with Selection, regardless of the reported “life-changing” sum of money being supplied to the workforce that turned the primary live-action theatrical outing for America’s best-selling style doll into the highest-grossing movie of 2023, life in plastic shouldn’t be so incredible for “Barbie 2.” Warner Bros. has about 4 months to place a “Barbie” sequel into lively growth, or else the rights revert again to Mattel. This additionally implies that something associated to Gerwig’s movie is not going to be permitted for use as a baseline for an additional live-action “Barbie” film, and whoever companions subsequent with Mattel must totally reboot the property.
Given the movie’s monetary success and significant accolades (learn my glowing assessment right here), a sequel movie appeared inevitable. Whereas it could clearly be in the perfect curiosity of shareholders to duplicate that success, I am not satisfied {that a} movie as singular because the live-action “Barbie” must develop into the newest sufferer of pointless franchising, contemplating there are already 44 CGI-animated “Barbie” movies (“Barbie & the Diamond Fortress” hive, rise!) and a number of CGI-animated sequence (to not point out video blogs and different short-form content material). Associates of Barbie have loads of Barbie tales to get their repair, and the story of Robbie’s titular Barbie had the proper ending. There isn’t a want for a “Barbie 2,” and I am not satisfied a sequel would have the ability to recapture the magic of the primary movie regardless.
Barbie does not want a sequel movie
I’m a little bit of a “Barbie” historian, and I’ve devoted numerous hours to understanding the fandom, historical past, and cultural affect of the Barbie doll throughout all mediums. So once I say that Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie” was lightning in a bottle, I am coming from a spot of adoration and immense respect. Whereas “Barbenheimer” weekend allowed for “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” to develop into field workplace behemoths (one thing else the trade has been desperately attempting and failing to duplicate), the rationale that “Barbie” outperformed Chris Nolan’s eventual Greatest Image winner has much less to do with the PG-13 vs. R ranking of the 2 movies and extra to do with the very fact “Barbie” was the primary time in a really, very very long time {that a} studio-backed blockbuster was prioritizing audiences past males aged 14-49. Even individuals who ultimately hated “Barbie” went out to see it simply to see what the fuss was about, or to realize perspective on the continuous discourse across the digital water cooler in regards to the movie’s introductory, simply digestible themes of feminism.
“Barbie 2” must seize the baton from the primary film and run with it, which suggests diving into pricklier discussions surrounding feminism. Whereas I imagine Gerwig may simply deal with that materials, I am much less satisfied that the typical moviegoer — who spent months debating whether or not or not America Ferrera’s monologue within the movie went too far or not far sufficient — would get on board with a film a few Barbie who acquired her want to be an actual woman now having to take care of the actual patriarchy that plagues all of society, and never simply the sort of patriarchy Ken discovered about from observing tech bros strolling round Century Metropolis in Los Angeles and watching “The Godfather.”
Unique tales are thriving — allow them to thrive
Whereas “Barbie” was, in fact, based mostly on present IP, the story that Greta Gerwig and co-writer Noah Baumbach crafted was an unique tackle the character and undoubtedly led to the movie’s success. Some properties, like “Spider-Man,” for instance, can justify a franchise. “Barbie” wasn’t written to be a serialized story, so forcing it to develop into one basically strips her of her distinctive affect. All the accusations lobbed towards it of being “an affordable cash-grab” will develop into true, as a result of there isn’t a cause for a “Barbie 2” to exist past being profitable, and one other field office-breaking 12 months shouldn’t be assured. Is it actually well worth the danger to sully the entire pleasure of the primary movie by risking a attainable “Joker: Folie à Deux” scenario?
Audiences are hungering for unique movies, and Warner Bros. hit it large final 12 months with unique hits like “Weapons,” “Sinners,” and “One Battle After One other.” Positive, the latter was loosely based mostly on a guide, however there have been so many adjustments made that calling it an adaptation could be incorrect. Whereas “pay disagreements” have been publicly declared as the rationale for the dearth of a sequel’s ahead momentum, I am secretly hoping it is a method for the artistic workforce to keep away from making a film that they do not wish to make by making egregious monetary calls for that Warner Bros. Discovery CEO and residing “Roger Rabbit” villain David Zaslav would by no means agree to fulfill.
The summer season of 2023 will without end stay probably the most unbelievable movie-going experiences of my life, however Barbie’s already out of the field. You may’t put her again in and ask audiences to play together with her by another person’s guidelines. Sorry, shareholders. Perhaps it is simply that nobody desires to play with you.
