While Mattel becomes more confident with their next projects following 'Barbie' box office success, the ongoing Hollywood strike has put some of their upcoming movies on hold.
- Jul 28, 2023
AceShowbiz - Mattel's CEO confirms the success of the live-action "Barbie" movie means there's every chance of a sequel, plus a TV spin-off and other content. While the sequel is not officially confirmed yet, the businessman warned that the SAG-AFTRA actors' strike will be "delaying some projects that are in development."
"We'd made significant progress before the strike and expect to continue to make progress after the strike. We are watching the space and will manage according," he said.
Mattel's upcoming projects include Barney, Polly Pocket, and Hot Wheels movies.
Ynon Kreiz - whose role at the toy firm was played by Will Ferrell in the movie about the iconic doll starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling as the stereotypical Barbie and Ken - teased the "opportunity" to expand the franchise after the flick smashed records and made more than $300,000,000 during its opening weekend.
Speaking during the latest earnings call for the company, Kreiz said, "We haven't announced anything, and it's probably a bit early to talk about sequels, but obviously, with the success of the film…that would invite more opportunities."
"We operate in an industry where everyone is looking for these moments, for these brands, for these cultural events. And they happen, but they don't happen that often. [So] we expect the brand to continue to grow, we expect to have more opportunities in content - and this is not just film, this is television and other areas."
In a separate interview with Time magazine before the film's release on July 21, Kreitz noted that Mattel has a clear goal to create something that goes beyond simply being a toy advert, pointing to the importance of working with creative people like director Greta Gerwig and her partner Noah Baumbach, with whom she wrote the script.
The Mattel boss said, "We're looking to create movies that become cultural events. If you can excite filmmakers like Greta and Noah to embrace the opportunity and have creative freedom, you can have a real impact."
