Anyone paying attention to the pop culture landscape knows that superhero films have been producing diminishing returns. Both the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the DC Extended Universe are floundering — whimpering, even — as they churn out more origin stories and sequels and hope that people like Spider-Man enough to go see “Madame Web.” (Spoiler: They did not.) “Madame Web” bombed at the box office, as did its predecessor “Morbius.” You know what didn’t bomb at the box office? “Barbie.” In fact, it was the highest-grossing film of 2023.
Technically, “Barbie” is based on existing intellectual property. Yes, Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach used the doll’s aesthetic as inspiration for their script. But in another sense, the story of “Barbie” is constructed from whole cloth — Baumbach and Gerwig crafted a journey of discovery based on a plastic doll who wears a lot of different outfits. “Barbie” proved that audiences want fresh, interesting, and funny ideas in movies that feel new and exciting — so the very idea of a sequel spits in the face of that.
Currently, Gerwig is working on adapting “Chronicles of Narnia” — so she’ll likely already have her hands full with its serialized story for some time. (So, if you’re craving seeing Gerwig’s version of a sequel, she’s making at least two films in this series to watch instead.) Overall, Gerwig has proven herself to be a writer who can beautifully adapt an existing story or idea (“Little Women”) as well as make a fully original tale (“Lady Bird”). She’s better than “Barbie 2.” We all are. Leave “Barbie” alone and make something else amazing.
