‘Barbie 2’ Back On. Skydance Reportedly Wants Greta Gerwig's Sequel Greenlit

Remember when "Barbie 2" was supposedly dead in the water over costs? That might no longer be the case.

According to Variety, that tide seems to be changing. With Skydance set to close its acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery next week, a source says the wheels are already turning to lock in a sequel to Greta Gerwig's 2023 blockbuster, and it sounds like an inevitability: "There's no way “Barbie 2” doesn't happen."

Paramount film chiefs Dana Goldberg and Josh Greenstein, who are reportedly being elevated to oversee the film labels across both studios, have already reached out to Margot Robbie and her LuckyChap partners, and that's days before Ellison even gets the keys.

Another positive sign: Ellison just named former Mattel CEO Ynon Kreiz as co-CEO of the new company. You don't bring in the guy who helped turn "Barbie" into a billion-dollar movie event and then let the franchise sit on a shelf. Connect the dots.

Robbie and Ryan Gosling weren't signed to sequel deals when they made the first film, and after its massive success, both wanted more money to come back. Gerwig reportedly has an idea for the sequel but won't share it until a deal is made. Then-film chiefs Pam Abdy and Michael De Luca publicly acknowledged they had made a series of big offers but hadn't been able to reach an agreement. Abdy and De Luca are now out, by the way.

David Zaslav reportedly played hardball with the "Barbie" crew; now it seems Ellison is willing to meet their demands. That could mean $20M+ for Gerwig to write and direct, $10M for Noah Baumbach to co-write, $20M+ for Gosling to return in a supporting role, and for Robbie, gosh, her flat fee could go as high as $40M, if not more. That’s $100M+ of the budget on talent alone.

The clock is ticking. If Warner Bros. doesn't have deals with Gerwig, Robbie and Gosling in place by December, the "Barbie" rights revert to Mattel, and that's just two months away. Knowing how IP-obsessed Ellison is, don't be surprised if signed deals are announced soon.

Guillermo del Toro & Alfonso Cuarón Rush to Defend Iñárritu's ‘Digger’ After Negative Reviews: “Entirely Petty”

When one amigo gets hit, the other two show up. That's been the deal for three decades between Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Guillermo del Toro and Alfonso Cuarón, and it's playing out in real time this weekend

‘Barbie 2’ Back On. Skydance Reportedly Wants Greta Gerwig's Sequel Greenlit

The wheels are already turning to lock in a sequel to Greta Gerwig's 2023 blockbuster, and it sounds like an inevitability: "There's no way “Barbie 2” doesn't happen."

Tony Gilroy's ‘Behemoth!' Premieres at NYFF to Mostly Positive, Partly Mixed Reviews

"Behemoth!" is Tony Gilroy's first film in 14 years, and it comes nearly two decades after his debut, "Michael Clayton." It also arrives four years after the critical and commercial triumph of his Disney+ series "Andor."

‘Digger' Stumbles With $1.2M Previews; Misunderstood or Insufferable? Post Your Review!

Welcome to the “Digger” megathread, where you can post your review of the movie in the comments below. I’ll try to keep this post up over the weekend as our readers catch up with Iñárritu’s $180M oddity.

J.A. Bayona in Talks to Direct Next ‘Jurassic World’ Movie After Gareth Edwards Exit

Bayona hasn't directed a feature since “Society of the Snow,” his 2023 Oscar nominee. His résumé also includes “The Orphanage,” “The Impossible,” and “A Monster Calls.”

August 19, 2019

3-Hour ‘Midsommar' Director's Cut Screened in NYC

This year’s 12th edition of the Scary Movies festival at Film at Lincoln Center premiered Ari Aster’s extended version of “Midsommar” this past Saturday.

CONFIRMED: Sadie Soverall Exits Brady Corbet's ‘The Origin of the World' Mid-Shoot, Lily McInerny Steps In Lead Role

Sadie Soverall was just let go after briefly filming on Corbet's new film — no official reason given. She had the lead role. Corbet has replaced her, last minute, with Lily McInerny.

Ron Howard’s ‘Alone at Dawn’ Starring Adam Driver and Anne Hathaway Sets Christmas 2027 Release

This is the adaptation of the nonfiction book by Dan Schilling and Lori Longfritz. It wrapped production in February and has been in post-production ever since. The film test-screened a few months ago.

Jeremy Saulnier’s Next Film Retitled to ‘Slayground,’ Current Runtime is 2.5 Hours, Plot Details

Jeremy Saulnier’s mysterious A24 project, formerly “October,” still has no release date. You’d think, given that it has been in post-production for almost a year now.

Jemima Kirke and Alexi Wasser to Star in Woody Allen's Next Film

A few months ago, Deadline reported that Woody Allen's next film, set in Madrid and carrying a $14M budget, will be "largely English-language" and feature a "high-profile cast."

Fritz Lang’s ‘M’ Tops the Best Films of the 1930s, According to 100+ Critics

We’ve gone through the decades. The ‘40s ‘50s, ‘60s, ‘70s, ‘80s, ‘90s, ‘2000s, and ‘2010s. — all revisited, argued over. Now, here are the results for the best films of the 1930s.

Critics Poll: ‘Citizen Kane' Named Best Film of the 1940s

The results are in, and according to critics, this decade filled with cinematic riches did not have a better film than Orson Welles’ “Citizen Kane.” Nobody should be surprised by this result. “Citizen Kane” changed cinema forever.

Critics Poll: ‘Vertigo’ Named Best Film of the 1950s, Over 120 Participants

It was a closer race than anticipated, but Alfred Hitchcock’s “Vertigo” has topped our best of the ’50s poll, besting Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen’s “Singin’ in the Rain” by just two votes.

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