They pretty much have to.

This will easily open in the low to mid $200m range if comes out before 2025 ends.

If they make this a CHRISTMAS movie? $250m opening weekend.

I think a second film will open about the same and decrease total.
The novelty will be lost

Just make sure it opens against Oppenheimer 2: The Dark Night.

Nolan, as we speak, is trying to figure out who invented money...

Good article on the marketing campaign that Mattel / WB pulled off. They apparently will make $75M in addition to box office via the 100+ partnerships they made alone. I'd argue this marketing campaign was at an ID4, Matrix, Blair Witch or TDK type level over the last 30 years.



https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movie ... 235534537/

I think it would be near impossible for every ingredient that happened this time to work for a sequel. It may make more but the cultural impact will be very hard to replicate here.

WB would need to get it out within the next 30 months, I would argue. They took way too long to get Black Pather 2 made, and obviously the lead star was dead. It took 4 years for TDKR to follow TDK, and obviously no Heath.

Barbie 2 will be enormous opener if they make it soon and keep the trio.

A sequel would open close to this one but I don’t see it increasing. Possibly an Avatar 2 style hold in total gross.

They were putting cold water on sequel talk but I guess the awards reunion and fun the team had Greta started saying she's more open to it.

Barbie stars sort of stole the Oscars show despite only winning 1 award. It's going to be hard getting the novelty of the first one but still going to be a huge event.

Ryan/Margot are doing an Ocean's 11 prequel together likely first so that would be good to prime audiences again for a Barbie reunion. No script so maybe a 2027 release at the earliest. By then, Barbie could adjust to $716M so could lose 30% of its attendance and still clear $500M.

I think it will happen with Gerwig's apparent interest in commercial movies.

Of course it is gonna happen. Just had to get through award seasons pretending it wasn't a franchise film. I suspect Nolan has already figured out his next project too, likely a blockbuster, but wanted to keep the attention on Oppenehiemer.

Exactly. Flava has the grounded take.

IP this profitable never gets left idle.

The sequel will be big but it will make less overall than the first.

I hope they announce it later this year and target 2026 Summer. Will be among the biggest movies of the year for sure.

They only really need Margot to come back. Ryan Gosling too but they could replace him with another Ken (one of the Marvel Chrises?). They will offer Margot $100 million if that's what it takes to get her to come back. So this will get made.

I would be shocked given how busy their schedules are and the scale of the production (caused a pink paint shortage worldwide) if they could get this out by 2026. Story, strike delays, negotiations, etc.

$145M budget for the first film. Margot/Ryan got $12.5M each (though sure they got lots backend). I'd be shocked if the sequel's budget was under $250M.

I think Gerwig will be too busy with Narnia for it to come out that fast

This needs to be a true blue Christmas film. They haver to find a way. Barbie in New York for Christmas. Just stupid mega money to be made.

Barbie 2: Lost in New York

3 cross over with BARBIE 2, HOME ALONE 3, and LEGALLY BLONDE 3?