Greta Gerwig’s cinematic rendition of “Barbie” has hit a significant milestone – crossing the $1 billion mark at the global box office in just three weeks! This impressive feat makes it the first film helmed by a solo female director to achieve such a record, according to Warner Brothers Studios’ estimates. But if you’re already excited about a sequel, you might want to hold your horses.

It’s not every day that a film reaches the billion-dollar club, especially with a solo female director at its helm. Yet, in a surprising twist, the blockbuster’s future doesn’t seem to be set on the franchise track. Neither Gerwig nor the film’s leading stars, Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, are contractually bound for a sequel, as noted by Consequence.

Intriguingly, the Hollywood buzz reveals that Gerwig had been nudged about the possibility of directing a sequel even before the “Barbie” phenomenon took off. However, her team decided to play the waiting game. The movie’s roaring success might have set many speculating about a potential sequel, but Gerwig remains non-committal. Speaking to Us magazine, the director candidly shared, “I feel like that at the end of every movie… I’ll never have another idea… I’m at totally zero.”

Add to this the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike stirring the waters in Hollywood. Navigating contract negotiations with the film’s central figures could become an even trickier affair.

If “Barbie” doesn’t venture into franchise territory, it would indeed be an anomaly in today’s cinema world where sequels and series are often viewed as cash cows. And while a part of us, the entrepreneurial and investor spirit might lean into the profit potential of a sequel, there’s also something to be said about letting a singular cinematic success stand tall on its own.

As of now, the team behind “Barbie” remains tight-lipped, with no official comments coming from the representatives of Gerwig, Robbie, Gosling, or Warner Brothers.

But in the fast-paced world of showbiz and investments, things can change in the blink of an eye. Whether “Barbie” remains a standalone sensation or eventually gets a sequel, one thing is for sure – it has already etched its name in cinematic history.