Somehow, one of 2022’s hottest movies is Greta Gerwig’s upcoming Barbie movie, starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, and it isn’t coming out until July 21, 2023. As the details have leaked out and the costume pics have titillated the annals of Twitter and Instagram, the excitement has gotten hot and heavy. Heavy enough for a sequel? A threequel? A franchise? Gerwig isn’t opposed. “Is the Barbie movie the start of a franchise?†Variety asked Gerwig at the Academy’s Governors Awards on November 19. “I can’t answer all these questions!†she responded. “I mean, it would certainly be exciting if it was.†A tease! That is exactly the answer we would give if we were a film auteur who was in talks for our movie to become a franchise but it hadn’t been confirmed yet.
The only problem is that Gerwig has other things to work on (being the voice of a generation of white women’s ennui and excitement). So maybe some other auteurs could expand the pink universe: Lulu Wang’s take on the overlooked Skipper; Greg Araki’s version of Earring Magic Ken; and maybe even Ari Aster’s adaptation of Barbie in the Nutcracker. Mattel, we are available for work as consultants.