Ryan Gosling, who starred in Barbie, maintains that he is unaware of any possible Barbie sequel, but he is prepared to contribute a different kind of Kenergy to the proceedings if one were to happen.
Speaking with Barbie co-star America Ferrera on December 8 at London’s BFI Soundbank, Gosling asserts that he “knows nothing” about a sequel, even though the fact that the film’s critical and commercial success has naturally sparked conjecture about one. Gosling and Ferrera did their best to sidestep questions on the potential release of a Barbie 2, with Gosling responding, “Oh, I’m not going anywhere near that,” in response to one fan’s inquiry. We really know nothing.”
Ferrera added, “I will say, what Greta [Gerwig] and Margot [Robbie] have said is they did not set out to make a franchise. They put it all out on the table. Every bit of it that they loved and that they knew to do, they did. Which is refreshing, right? We’re not setting it up for 20 years of Barbie movies. But then again, I know nothing, so there might be 20 years [of Barbie]… or a Ken spinoff?”
Greta Gerwig helmed Barbie, which starred Gosling opposite Margot Robbie’s stereotypical Barbie and garnered him positive reviews. Gosling’s rendition of “I’m Just Ken” from the movie, which went viral, earned him a Grammy nomination recently. He has also been nominated for Best Supporting Actor at the 96th Academy Awards. Gosling joked that if a second Barbie film was made, he would play a completely different version of Ken. He said, “Can it be a husky Ken? Can I play Husky Ken, like Sandwich Ken? Can I play that Ken next time?”
Regarding a potential sequel, Gerwig and the Barbie cast have generally given vague responses. Although Robbie, who oversaw Barbie’s production, acknowledged that there had been discussions behind closed doors regarding a follow-up, she minimised the likelihood of it occurring and hailed Barbie as a triumph for Hollywood and original films. Additionally, Gerwig has often expressed doubt about a possible sequel, while Ynon Kreiz, the CEO of Mattel, has backed off from remarks on both potential sequels and spinoffs.
Barbie: The highest-grossing movie of 2023
After being released on July 21st, Barbie made over $1.45 billion in international box office revenue, making it the highest-grossing film of 2023. Along with becoming the highest-grossing movie ever for Warner Bros., it also served as the ideal launchpad for Mattel Films, which intends to release Barney and Hot Wheels films shortly as part of their cinematic universe.
Gosling is one of numerous Kens in Barbie; the character is also portrayed by John Cena, Simu Liu, Ncuti Gatwa, and Kingsley Ben-Adir. Barbies in the meantime include Dua Lipa, Ferrera, Kate McKinnon, and Issa Rae. Gosling and Robbie will, however, be back together on screen since they will be appearing in the next Ocean’s Eleven prequel film.
