Robbie Brenner, President of Mattel Studios and Chief Content Officer, made it clear at the Toronto Film Festival that the enthusiasm for a follow-up to the highly successful Barbie movie is palpable. “We all want to see the Barbie sequel,” Brenner told the TIFF audience, adding, “I want to see it too. I’m sure at some point, one day, there will be one.”

However, the path to a live-action Barbie sequel isn't straightforward, with timing remaining an open question. Currently, Mattel is channeling its efforts into other projects, notably an animated Barbie movie being developed with Chris Meledandri. "That is super exciting, and yes, we will continue to do other Barbie things as well," Brenner confirmed, signaling a broader strategy for the iconic doll's cinematic presence.

Brenner, who earned an Oscar nomination for producing Greta Gerwig’s record-breaking live-action Barbie film — which starred Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling and grossed over $1.4 billion worldwide — was speaking at TIFF: The Market, the festival's industry section.

Speculation around a sequel intensified following a report in July indicating that Warner Bros. has until December to finalize agreements with stars Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, along with co-writer and director Greta Gerwig. Should active development not commence by year-end, the rights would revert to Mattel, potentially necessitating a complete reboot of the live-action franchise and preventing the use of any previous iterations of Barbie.

Reflecting on the genesis of the first film, Brenner shared an intriguing anecdote about Gerwig's initial pitch. After hearing numerous concepts, Gerwig's unique vision stood out. "[Gerwig] had a vision of what she wanted to do and said, ‘I love Barbie. I grew up with Barbie; I don’t know what the story is but I know that it’s gonna live in between a high heel and a Birkenstock’… so we went on the journey with her." Brenner described this pivotal moment as the "aha moment."

From a corporate perspective, the immense success of Barbie has been transformative for Mattel. Brenner highlighted how the film "really put Mattel on the map in terms of content and people knowing that we’re making movies," legitimizing the company's cinematic ambitions and demonstrating its willingness to "take swings and make bold choices."