Summary

• Margot Robbie's comments suggest Barbie 2 might not happen after Barbie's massive success.
• The sequel faces challenges in living up to the original's success and unique storytelling.
• Mattel's plans for more Barbie-based movies could bring Barbie 2 to fruition despite Margot Robbie's concerns.

Barbie was a massive success that could spawn an entire franchise, but Margot Robbie's comments about Barbie's Rotten Tomatoes score makes it one of Margot Robbie's highest-rated films. In many ways, Barbie was lightning in a bottle.

After the huge success Barbie achieved, and the $1.4 billion in earnings it made, a sequel seemed almost inevitable. There have also been some indications behind the scenes that hinted at Barbie 2 being a possibility. Recently, director Greta Gerwig said she'd like to direct Barbie 2, even though she was originally against the idea of a sequel. Margot Robbie, on the other hand, has a differing opinion on Barbie 2. Based on Robbie's comments, I wouldn't be surprised at all if Barbie 2 never gets made.

Margot Robbie’s Barbie 2 Comments Explain Why A Sequel Might Not Happen

In an interview with Variety, Margot Robbie perfectly explained the biggest hurdles that could keep Barbie 2 from being created.

I don’t know what more could even look like. We want to make more films that have the effect that “Barbie” has. I don’t know if it has to be “Barbie 2.” Why can’t it be another big, original, bold idea where we get an amazing filmmaker, a big budget to play with, and the trust of a huge conglomerate behind them to go and really play? I want to do that.

As Robbie explained, the biggest thing holding Barbie 2 back is the fact that it simply can't live up to the first Barbie. It's really hard to overstate just how popular, game-changing, and influential Barbie was. A sequel, by definition, can't be as original and unique as its prequel, even though they're much more likely to turn a profit than a truly original film. Barbie was clearly a labor of love, and even though Barbie 2 is almost guaranteed box office gold, Robbie's comments have made me realize that the sequel just wouldn't have the same heart as the original. That could keep it from being made.

Margot Robbie Is Right: A Big-Budget Original Movie Sounds Better Than Barbie 2

Margot Robbie is also completely right that the people who created Barbie could put their talents to much better use in an original movie. One of the main reasons Barbie became such a sensation was because it was so original. It was a movie made by women for women, using one of the biggest toy brands in the world, and it was a complete deviation from almost every other blockbuster of the last decade. If another film is going to get all the advantages Barbie had to make it so great, I think it should be an idea that's just as unique and original.

I also think Margot Robbie is the perfect person to be involved in such an original movie. She's had a terrific career making original films that aren't part of a larger franchise. In just the past decade, she's made hits like I, Tonya, Once Upon A Time... In Hollywood, Babylon, Asteroid City, and more. In that same time period, she's only been part of two franchises: the DC universe as Harley Quinn, and the Peter Rabbit movies. If anyone deserves the same resources Barbie got for another big, bold, original idea, I feel confident that it's Margot Robbie.

If anyone deserves the same resources Barbie got for another big, bold, original idea, I feel confident that it's Margot Robbie.

What Would Barbie 2 Even Look Like?

Margot Robbie also mentioned that she didn't know what Barbie 2 could even look like, and I completely agree with her once again. The ending of Barbie was definitive - Barbieland had survived Ken's takeover, Barbie decided to become a real human, and she went to the gynecologist. That ending was so definitive that it didn't leave much room for a new story to fit in. Robbie's Barbie wouldn't be involved with Barbieland anymore as a real person, and I feel like picking a new Barbie to go out into the real world again in Barbie 2 would just be retreading old ground.

While there aren't many options for Barbie 2 to continue the story organically, there are a handful of possibilities. Barbie 2 could focus on real people trying to get into Barbieland, which would open the door for the sequel to dive even deeper into the idea of Barbies being an unattainable image of perfection. Barbie 2 could also get even more meta and examine the cultural phenomenon that was the Barbie movie and how it affected both the real world and Barbieland. While those plots are possibilities for Barbie 2, I still agree with Margot Robbie that they're not as good as something original.

Despite Margot Robbie's comments, there's still a very real chance that Barbie 2 happens. Mattel, the owners of the Barbie dolls, already have plans to create Polly Pocket movie. Barbie was a cash cow, and I find it hard to believe Mattel or Warner Bros. would be willing to leave so much potential profit on the table in search of more original ideas, which are inherently a bit of a gamble. If Barbie 2 does get the go ahead, however, it will have to address Margot Robbie's very reasonable concerns for a sequel.

Source: Variety