There's no doubt that the prospect of a sequel to The Barbie is one of the most anticipated cinematic events of its release year. However, The Barbie 2 has the potential to do more than just build on the success of the original; it could also break a negative box office trend that has followed Margot Robbie throughout her career. In 2023, Robbie made waves by starring in and producing the blockbuster The Barbie, a film based on the iconic Mattel doll and directed by Greta Gerwig. This film became a significant pop culture phenomenon, thanks to its star-studded cast, remarkable soundtrack, and heartwarming story, making it one of the year's most beloved films. The success of the first movie sets the stage for an important opportunity for Robbie should a sequel materialize.

The narrative of The Barbie 2 could take many directions. It might continue Robbie's Barbie storyline or focus on a completely new version of the character. With the original film boasting a large and talented ensemble, there's room for a spin-off featuring another Barbie or Ken. Alternatively, The Barbie 2 could benefit from an entirely new cast, hoping they can live up to the original. Yet, The Barbie 2 will be more than just a financial success. Indeed, this sequel presents Robbie with the chance to break free from a troubling box office trend that has dogged her over the years.

Robbie's two biggest sequels have been box office disappointments, with financial underperformance being a recurring theme. She reprised her role as Harley Quinn in both Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League and Birds of Prey and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn, both follow-ups to the 2016 Suicide Squad. While the original film grossed over $700 million worldwide, its successors didn't fare as well. Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League brought in $168 million, falling short of its budget by about $20 million. Meanwhile, Birds of Prey and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn grossed only $200 million against a budget of between $80 and $100 million. These disappointments started to form a disheartening pattern.

Another recent sequel in which Robbie starred, Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway, where she voiced Flopsy Rabbit, further cemented this trend. Although not a complete failure, the film performed less impressively than its predecessor. Peter Rabbit earned $115 million, while the sequel only managed to bring in $40 million. In this way, Robbie was on a challenging path when it came to sequels. However, the massive success of The Barbie placed her in a unique position to reverse the trend. The Barbie 2 has the potential to succeed in more ways than one.

It's clear that The Barbie 2 is poised to outperform the box office numbers of Birds of Prey, Suicide Squad, and Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway. This is largely due to the incredible box office performance of The Barbie. The film grossed a total of $1.4 billion, making it the 15th highest-grossing movie of all time. If The Barbie could set records, its sequel seems likely to follow suit. Audiences are eager to see The Barbie 2, and adding an exciting cast and engaging storyline would only add to the film's success.

In fact, The Barbie 2 has the potential to break even more records. Like its predecessor, The Barbie 2 could rank among the highest-grossing movies of all time. If it's good enough, it might even surpass The Barbie. This would not only break the curse of Robbie's underperforming sequels but also make the The Barbie franchise an even bigger pop culture phenomenon. As Avatar: The Way of Water demonstrated, sequels can be risky, but they can also meet and exceed the expectations set by their original films.

While many hope to see The Barbie 2 become a reality, it doesn't seem to be currently in the works. There have been no announcements regarding a second The Barbie movie, and Robbie appears hesitant about making a sequel. She has previously stated, "We put everything into The Barbie", suggesting there may not be a planned storyline for a follow-up. Matching the heights of the first film would certainly be challenging. In this way, a The Barbie 2 featuring Margot Robbie and Greta Gerwig might never happen.

However, Hollywood is unlikely to let the success of The Barbie be a one-time event. The film industry is currently in an era of sequels, spin-offs, and reboots, so it makes sense that someone might push for The Barbie 2. It would be great to see Robbie and Gerwig return, but whether this will happen remains uncertain. Hopefully, if The Barbie 2 does come to fruition, Robbie can be part of it and prove that not all of her sequels need to be box office bombs.