Although Ken is considered second fiddle to Barbie, the director of the blockbuster film, Greta Gerwig hinted that he might just get his own film soon.
The 41-year-old filmmaker gained significant attention for her 2023 film, which starred some of Hollywood’s favorite actors, including Ryan Gosling, America Ferrera, Will Ferrell, Simu Liu, Kate McKinnon, and more, alongside Margot Robbie. The film celebrated women’s empowerment and girlhood, leaving Ken, played by the 43-year-old Gosling, constantly in Barbie’s shadow as he tried to prove his manhood among his fellow Kens.
The movie, which made many cry, laugh, and smile, was so well received that a potential Ken sequel has been hinted at. In an interview with Sharyn Alfonsi for 60 Minutes, Greta Gerwig was asked if she would consider making a sequel focused on Ryan’s character. Laughing, she replied, “I mean, the truth is, you know—we’ll see.”
She revealed that while writing the script, there was a wealth of material, worthy of a second film for Ken. “We would write, and write, and write,” she noted. “I mean, this sounds so silly to say out loud, but I love Ken. We love Ken. We also take Ken’s position quite seriously.”
Greta explained that the concept of the movie began with the idea of a perfect world, like a clock running smoothly, until the notion of death entered Barbie’s mind. Since Margot Robbie’s character is designed to be the ideal doll, Greta felt it was important to incorporate real-life topics into a story about such a character. “The movie is meant to be a big-hearted thing, even though it’s poking fun at everyone,” she said during the interview.
“You know, Barbie’s been around since 1959, and everyone knows who she is, and everyone has an opinion, and she’s run the gamut of being ahead of time, behind time. She’s a hero, she’s a villain.”
While a second film has not been confirmed, the first one made a significant impact, especially in popularizing the color pink and earning billions at the box office.