Greta Gerwig’s new film has opened to a wave of positive reviews – but will it get a sequel?
It feels like we’ve been waiting for years and years for the release of Greta Gerwig’s Barbie movie, but at long last the big day is here: the film has finally arrived in UK cinemas.
Not only that, but it’s somehow managed to live up to the immense hype, with a string of positive reviews including a four-star verdict from us at RadioTimes.com further building anticipation for fans eager to see what the Lady Bird and Little Women director has done with the material.
The film sees Margot Robbie take on the role of the world’s most famous doll, while Ryan Gosling stars as Ken, and a host of other big names also feature in the star-studded cast – from Will Ferrell and America Ferrera to Emma Mackey and incoming Doctor Who star Ncuti Gatwa.
But once cinemagoers have enjoyed the film (perhaps as part of a double bill with this week’s other big release Oppenheimer), they’ll no doubt be left wondering if there’s a chance of further additions to the fledgling Barbie cinematic universe.
So will there be a sequel? Read on for everything we know so far.
Will there be a Barbie 2?
!["Barbie"]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2023/07/rev-1-BAR-01281HighResJPEG-5e083c9.jpeg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413" "\"Barbie\"")
As yet, it appears that there are no official plans for a sequel – but Gerwig has previously teased there is potential for a Barbie Cinematic Universe, explaining during an interview with Variety in November 2022 that “it would certainly be exciting”.
While promoting the first film, Margot Robbie explained that it “could go a million different directions” from where it ends up, but stressed that the film was not necessarily made with sequels in mind.
“I think you fall into a bit of a trap if you try and set up a first movie whilst also planning for sequels,” she told Time.
Read more
- Barbie soundtrack: Artists confirmed for Margot Robbie film
- Barbie director Greta Gerwig to helm two Narnia films at Netflix
But one person who certainly seems keen on the idea of further films is Mattel CEO Ynon Kreiz – who in the same Time article linked above was quoted as saying that “more Barbie movies” are hoped for.
In fact, Mattel currently has plans for a staggering 45 films based on its products at various stages of development – including a JJ Abrams-produced Hot Wheels film and others based on Polly Pocket, Uno, and even Magic 8 Ball.
When you take those ambitions into consideration – coupled with the projections that Barbie will be a huge hit – it seems more likely than not that we will indeed see a sequel somewhere down the line.
When we hear anything more concrete we’ll post it here, so keep checking back for all the latest updates.
Will there be a Ken spin-off?
One rumour that has been doing the rounds recently is that Ken will be getting his own spin-off after a report from insider Daniel Richtman claimed a project was currently in development at Warner Bros Discovery.
The report says the spin-off film is in the early stages, and it’s unknown who would be writing, directing, or working on the project if it proves to be true – with no confirmation as yet from Warner Bros themselves.
For now, it’s probably best we treat these rumours with a pinch of salt – but should anything become official we’ll keep you updated.
Barbie is now showing in UK cinemas. Visit our Film hub for more news and features or find something to watch tonight with our TV Guide and Streaming Guide.
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