Warner Bros. and Barbie at impasse over sequel salaries

Plans for a sequel to the blockbuster film "Barbie" have stalled, with Warner Bros. and the film's key creative team reportedly at an impasse over salary negotiations. The studio's rights to produce another film are set to expire in December, creating a deadline for a deal.

According to reports, negotiations have been ongoing for months between Warner Bros. and the film's stars, Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, as well as director and co-writer Greta Gerwig. The studio has made a series of offers that include upfront raises and a share of profits contingent on the film's box office success. Gosling's current asking price is reportedly $20 million, a significant increase from the $12.5 million base salary he and Robbie earned for the first film. Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav has reportedly deemed the proposed compensation packages too generous and has refused to sign off on them.

The last offers made to the actors in May were declined, and no new counteroffers have been presented. In a statement, Warner Bros. studio co-chairs Pam Abdy and Michael De Luca confirmed the stalemate, saying they have a rights deal with Mattel and have made big offers to finalize a sequel, but...