Barbie hits $1 billion at global box office - but no sequel is in the works

Greta Gerwig’s Barbie movie starring Margot Robbie is a worldwide smash hit, so it’s surprising a sequel is nowhere in sight.

The much-hyped Barbie movie is proving a success with cinemagoers, with the film crossing the $US1 billion mark at the worldwide box office after being in cinemas for just a couple of weeks.

The film’s estimated $US1.03 billion earnings to date also make Greta Gerwig the first female director of a billion-dollar movie.

Typically, a movie with this much buzz has the studios locking in its director and leading stars for a sequel, or a series of films to form a franchise, to really captialise on its success.

But not Barbie.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Gerwig and stars Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling do not have any deals in place for a sequel. This comes as a surprise given big franchise films such Star Wars or Transformers often lock in their talent for future films even before the first movie is released in cinemas.

Ryan Gosling plays Ken and Margot Robbie is Barbie in the film.

Gerwig, who also co-wrote the movie with partner Noah Baumbach, was reportedly approached about making a Barbie sequel months ago, but her team wanted to hold off discussions until after the movie was released last month.

However, as the promotional tour came to an end and the movie was released worldwide, Hollywood actors and actresses followed their writer peers and went on strike over pay conditions and contract negotiations.

Therefore, if there were any negotiations due to take place about a Barbie sequel, it has been tabled for now.

Greta Gerwig and Margo Robbie attend a Barbie X Vogue pink carpet event in Sydney on June 30. Picture: The Sunday Telegraph, Monique Harmer

Ryan Gosling and Margot Robbie at the Barbie European premiere on July 12 in London, England. Picture: Karwai Tang/WireImage

Prior to the strike, Gerwig told the New York Times that she has not looked further than the first movie and presently has no plans to do so.

“At this moment, it’s all I’ve got,” the director told the publication. “I feel like that at the end of every movie, like I’ll never have another idea and everything I’ve ever wanted to do, I did. I wouldn’t want to squash anybody else’s dream but for me, at this moment, I’m at totally zero.”

Robbie – who plays the iconic titular character – doesn’t seem too enthused about a sequel either, as she wants to focus on one movie at a time.

“It could go a million different directions from this point,” she recently told Time magazine. “But I think you fall into a bit of a trap if you try and set up a first movie while also planning for sequels.”

The Aussie actress was one of the producers on the film through her production company LuckyChap Entertainment, and she is not obligated to return as Barbie.