The record-smashing success of Barbie already has moviegoers buzzing about a prospective sequel ― but director Greta Gerwig isn’t sure she’s interested in making one.
Speaking to The New York Times in an interview published on Tuesday, Gerwig shrugged off the implication that “Barbie” would be the first instalment in a film franchise based on the iconic doll.
“At this moment, it’s all I’ve got,” said Gerwig, who also co-wrote the Barbie screenplay with partner Noah Baumbach. “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 went on to note: “I wouldn’t want to squash anybody else’s dream but for me, at this moment, I’m at totally zero.”
Barbie, starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, premiered last week to critical raves and a global box office tally of more than $356 million. It also marked the biggest opening weekend of all time for a film with a female director.
Though Gerwig may be on the fence about returning to the world of “Barbie,” her film’s stars have appeared a bit more enthusiastic about a follow-up.
Speaking to Time magazine last month ahead of the SAG-AFTRA strike, Robbie acknowledged having been involved in conversations about reprising the role of Barbie in a future film.
“It could go a million different directions from this point,” she said. “But I think you fall into a bit of a trap if you try and set up a first movie whilst also planning for sequels.”
For his part, Gosling told Entertainment Tonight earlier this month he would be happy to reunite with Gerwig and Robbie “on anything” ― be that a Ken-centric sequel or a different project altogether.
Even if Gerwig does eventually come around to the idea of a “Barbie” sequel, it may be a while before production on a second film can commence.
In addition to the writers’ and actors’ strikes that have much of Hollywood at a standstill, the director of “Lady Bird” and “Little Women” is already committed to her next pair of projects. She’s set to direct two feature films based on C.S. Lewis’ The Chronicles of Narnia series for Netflix.