Overview
- Negotiations have been paused since May after Warner presented offers that talent representatives rejected, leaving formal talks unresolved in early August 2026.
- Sources report the talks center on pay and profit participation, with Ryan Gosling said to be seeking roughly $20 million plus backend and Margot Robbie and the filmmakers asking for larger economic and creative terms.
- Warner leaders say they have made multiple substantial proposals and that an active rights deal with Mattel remains in place, while some coverage quotes CEO David Zaslav as reluctant to approve terms he viewed as too generous.
- Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach reportedly hold a sequel concept but are withholding it until contracts are signed, which strengthens the creative team's leverage and stalls planning.
- If no agreement is reached by December 2026, rights could revert to Mattel, which could move the property to another studio and produce a sequel without Gerwig, Baumbach, Robbie or Gosling, changing the franchise’s creative and commercial path.