Barbie is the biggest movie of the year. And with a box office upwards of $1 billion you would think that a sequel is a question of if, not when. And yet, it’s sounding increasingly like Barbie 2 may not be happening soon. In fact, it may not happen at all. That doesn’t mean fans hoping for more should be disheartened, however, as a new rumor suggests that a movie focused on Ken may be in the cards.
Unnamed sources who have apparently spoken with RadarOnline are suggesting that Margot Robbie isn’t particularly interested in returning for a Barbie 2, despite the fact that the film was a massive payday for Robbie, and a sequel certainly would be as well. Instead, it’s being suggested that a follow-up movie could focus on Ryan Gosling’s Ken, and possibly star a different actress as a different Barbie. After all, there were a lot of them in the first movie.
The Ken movie is allegedly where WB is focusing its energy because a Margot Robbie-led Barbie sequel is currently considered “off the table” according to one source. The reason being that Robbie would be focused on the story, and the story for her Barbie came to a conclusion. She’s no longer a Barbie, and so any story that would take her back just isn’t necessary.
But there is lots of room for a Ken story. He went through a pretty significant character evolution over the course of Barbie, but he also has a journey of self-discovery in front of him, which could make for a compelling story.
Having said all this, even the sources that are indicating Barbie 2 won’t happen aren’t completely writing the idea off. It’s always possible that WB could try to throw all of the money at Robbie to get her back. Robbie would almost certainly still be involved in a theoretical Ken movie, as a producer. Which also means an appearance in the movie wouldn’t be impossible.
Since we’re dealing with a lot of unnamed sources here we have to call this a rumor, and thus can’t put too much stock in it all. But this certainly wouldn’t be a shocking development. The fact that we haven’t already been told that Barbie 2 is happening, and has a release date of summer 2025, would seem to indicate this franchise is not moving in the same way traditional franchises do. We might blame the ongoing WGA strike, as it means nobody could write a new movie right now anyway. But it’s honestly shocking that a deal for Barbie 2 wasn’t struck while the first movie was in production. WB certainly had a feeling Barbie would be a hit.
All the reasons to not do Barbie 2 certainly make sense. The story did reach a satisfying conclusion, and as much as a lot of people would likely want to see more, it seems likely any plot that brings Robbie’s character back would need to undo that conclusion.