Barbie 2 in Jeopardy: Margot Robbie's Talks with Warner Bros. at Standstill

The long-awaited sequel to the blockbuster "Barbie" may never hit the big screen. According to The New York Times, negotiations between Warner Bros. and the film's creators have hit a snag over financial disagreements. The two sides cannot agree on salaries for the first film's stars, Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling.

Sources told the publication that Warner Bros. CEO David Zaslav was taken aback by the requested amounts. In particular, Ryan Gosling is reportedly seeking around $20 million for his role in the sequel. Insiders claim Zaslav deemed the terms, including profit participation, too generous and refused to approve them.

However, studio representatives have denied this information. They stated that it was actually the actors who turned down generous offers made back in May and have not yet sent counteroffers. Warner Bros. emphasized that Zaslav did not balk at any offers.

Time is of the essence: under the contract, if a deal is not reached by September, the rights to "Barbie" revert to Mattel. This leaves the parties only a few months to come to an agreement.

The first film was a goldmine for the studio, grossing nearly $1.5 billion worldwide and, along with "Oppenheimer," revitalizing movie theaters post-pandemic. That's why news of a possible sequel cancellation has sparked a strong reaction from fans.

Margot Robbie herself previously doubted a sequel would ever happen, but she thought a creative drought would be the main obstacle, not finances. Greta Gerwig and her partner Noah Baumbach, according to NYT, are ready to start writing the script as soon as a deal is signed. So it's clearly not a lack of ideas.

It remains unclear whether the parties can find a compromise. The fate of "Barbie 2" is still up in the air, and fans can only speculate whether Ken and Barbie will return to their pink dreamhouse on screen.