It's hard to believe it's been two years since Barbenheimer and Greta Gerwig hit the jackpot with the 2023 Barbie Movie. After its big record-breaking success, people are wondering if a sequel is on the way. While neither Warner Bros. nor Mattel has confirmed anything, a recent chat with an executive at the toy company hinted at the possibility of a Barbie spinoff focused on Ken.
President and Chief Content Officer at Mattel Studios, Robbie Brenner, recently spoke with The Wrap about some cool projects the company has in the works. Besides dishing on their edgy Matchbox movie and a wild take on Hot Wheels coming from Jon M. Chu, Brenner claimed they’re still very much interested in bringing fans more Barbie and her playmates to the big screen:
We all want to make the Barbie sequel. When you have such great success, we certainly talk about it. At some point maybe. I don’t know, we will see. There have definitely been discussions.
Not a ton of details were shared. The Q&A with the outlet touched on everything from whether the Daniel Kaluuya-starring Barney would be a thriller or a horror flick (the answer was a big no) to dishing on who is set to direct the Monster High movie. Brenner’s totally got my Kenergy up again after she added:
We would love a Ken movie. We love Ryan.
I am totally with you, Brenner. I'm a huge fan of Ryan Gosling and really can’t get enough of him as Ken–those dance numbers were unexpected but amazing, am I right?
Honestly, it’s kind of a relief that they’re not rushing into a sequel or spinoff. Taking their time to find the right story and ensure each movie is truly excellent is a nice change for a studio. It’s a smart move. And, as the exec pointed out, it's all part of raising the bar and making sure their films have a reason to exist. She added:
I feel like if we’re not trying to raise the bar on every single movie that we’re doing, if we’re not doing something that feels unexpected and that has a reason to exist, then we shouldn’t be doing it… We want to set the bar really high. And we’ll take swings, and sometimes maybe they won’t work, but at least we’re taking a swing and we’re making bold choices.
Brenner, who just got promoted to run both film and TV for all of Mattel Studios, is busy putting together a lineup of projects that really focus on the filmmakers and mix things up in terms of tone. They’ve got things going at nearly every major studio in Hollywood. If a Ken spinoff ever happens, I’ll be one of the first in line to buy a ticket. But honestly, if it doesn’t work out, that’s fine too. Mattel seems to know what their fans want, and I can’t wait to see what they come up with next.
You can revisit Ryan Gosling as Ken in Barbie, which is streaming for anyone with an HBO Max subscription.
