Greta Gerwig responds to rumours that a Barbie movie sequel is in the 'early stages'

Greta Gerwig has responded to rumours that a Barbie movie sequel is in the "early stages" of development.

The Margot Robbie-fronted comedy/fantasy film was hailed as the "triumph of the year" in 2023 after creating undeniable hype with its all-star cast and iconic method-dressing moments on the red carpet.

The movie broke several box office records, with director Gerwig earning the biggest box office opening for any female director. As per Variety , the film garnered a huge $155 million in the US on opening, and $182 million internationally. 

So, it’s only natural that fans of the film are waiting with bated breath to see whether a Barbie movie sequel will come to fruition. A source told The Hollywood Reporter that the sequel is in the “early stages” of development, and Gerwig and co-writer and husband Noah Baumbach reportedly already brought an idea to Warner Bros.

However, representatives for Gerwig and Baumbach have responded to the claims, denying that a follow-up is in the works. “There is no legitimacy to his reporting,” they said.

A representative for Warner Bros. also responded, adding: “The Hollywood Reporter’s reporting is inaccurate.”

Gerwig told Time’s Women of the Year honours in March this year that she would consider a follow-up if she found an “undertow” for the story.

“My North Star is, ‘what do I deeply love? What do I really care about? What’s the story underneath this story?’ If I find the undertow, then we get it. If I don’t find an undertow, there’s no more.”

For the director, the “undertow” in the first Barbie movie was intergenerational views of the doll. “I remember going to Toys R Us and looking at the Barbies, and I loved their hair. And I loved everything about them. And my mom was not sure about it. And I thought that’s the story,” she told the outlet.