WHEN all the pre-release Barbie buzz was starting to make the colour pink feel monotonous, the movie opened — and delivered that sought-after blend of critical praise, audiences of both lovers and haters (which brought even more buzz), and massive box office success.
Inevitably, when a movie’s a big hit, sequel talk happens; sometimes, even before the movie’s a big hit, those in charge allow themselves to dream big.
Mattel CEO Ynon Kreiz puts it plainly, speaking to Variety: “At the outset, we’re not saying, ‘Okay, let’s think already about movie two and three.’ Let’s get the first one right and make that a success. And if you do that, opportunities open up very quickly. Once you establish the first movie as a successful representation of a franchise on the big screen, successful movies lend themselves to more movies. Our ambition is to create film franchises.”
While fans of “Barbie” are clamouring for a sequel, director Greta Gerwig says she has nothing to offer for now.
The filmmaker, who was asked if she saw the Mattel movie as the start of a franchise, stated that was all she had at the moment.
“I feel like that at the end of every movie, like I’ll never have another idea, and everything I’ve ever wanted to do, I did,” she explained. “I wouldn’t want to squash anybody else’s dream, but for me, at this moment, I’m at totally zero.”
However, Gerwig admitted that she was speechless and elated over the success of the movie, which is now nearing US$400 million at the box office in just a matter of days.
“It’s been amazing to walk around and see people in pink. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine something like this,” she expressed.
“But mostly, it’s been running into people on the streets that are excited, happy and exuberant, because so much of this movie was an attempt to create something that people would want to experience together. So, it’s the little things.”
But just because Gerwig has ruled it out now doesn’t mean it can’t happen. As film star and producer Margot Robbie told Time last month, “The story could go a million different directions from this point.”
She also noted that she’d already been in talks about a potential “Barbie 2”, but nothing had been set in stone yet.
