Barbie fans have flocked to Leicester Square to watch the predicted blockbuster hit battle in the box office with Oppenheimer – as as some hardcore cinephiles sat through a five hour double billing.
Beaming Barbie enthusiasts gathered up and down the UK today lauding the ‘amazing’ film and professing it had exceeded ‘huge hype’ that rapidly built up over the past few weeks, with one saying she shed a tear over the film.
Sayna, 24, of London, told MailOnline after watching the film: ‘There were some moments that you could really connect with. At one point I did shed a tear.
‘But it was also a really funny film too. A good comedy. Ken’s character provided that entertainment value.’
Meanwhile, a Barbie super fan with a massive collection of over 300 Barbie dolls said: ‘Barbie is just so iconic isn’t she.
‘She means so much to so many women. It gets seen as a childish thing but I don’t think we ever grow out of it’, Philippa, 45, from the Midlands, said.
‘It seems to have caught everyone by surprise. It’s phenomenal.’
Fin, 26, (right) from Edinburgh, said he’d loved Barbie ever since he was given his older sister’s Barbie bike when he was five and Harriet, 26, (left) said the film has made her a Barbie fan. Pictured with friend Lauretta (centre)
A Barbie super fan with a massive collection of over 300 Barbie dolls, Phillipa, 45, said: ‘Barbie is just so iconic isn’t she’
Ines Brin, 18, and Kristele Joyeux, 26, said the seats were filled out for Barbie and Oppenheimer
Callum Bell, 23, who plays a Ken doll in the film, took his family to watch Barbie today at Leicester Square
Hani Azeemah, 22, said the film made her ‘feel safe and validated’ and contrary to expectations was ‘very real and raw’
Barbie fans have hailed flocked to Leicester Square to watch the predicted blockbuster hit do battle in the box office with Oppenheimer
Gerwig’s satire will go head-to-head in the global box office against Nolan’s intense drama Oppenheimer , which is about the scientist who first created the atomic bomb
Others who have worshipped the iconic doll since childhood have dubbed it ‘fun’ while one, who admitted to being a Bratz girl growing up, admitted the Greta Gerwig epic has changed her mind.
Fin, 26, from Edinburgh, who admitted he had loved Barbie since being handed down a Barbie bike at the age of five, said: ‘I’m really looking forward to it. There’s so much hype around the film. It’ll be a fun one.’
And Harriet, 24, from Sheffield, is now a firm Barbie fan, saying: ‘There’s just so much hype and it looks amazing’.
Over the weekend thousands more moviegoers dressed head-to-toe in pink garments from feather boas to cowboy hats, are expected to flock to see Greta Gerwig’s film that has already been rated an impressive 89 per cent on Rotten Tomatoes.
And the hotly-anticipated movie, starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, is set to exceed its competitor: early estimates at the US box office suggesting Barbie is set to earn more than £85m this weekend alone, while Christopher Nolan’s production will draw around £23m.
Speaking after seeing the film, Kristele Joyeux, 26, said: ‘I think it exceeded the hype, they were very clever with how they marketed it, making it look fun but the movie was much deeper – it’s the cultural moment of the decade.’
Meanwhile, Luke Denton, 23, added: ‘It felt like a generational film. I think I will be watching it again and again for years.’
And Kendra Kelly, 19, said: ‘It was so good, the hype was real. My favourite bit was the rant the mother goes on. It was everything I have ever wanted to say to a man as a woman. It was really good to see how society norms were challenged.’
Chelsey Adusei, 16, whose favourite Barbie was President Barbie, said the film was a ten out of ten
Isabel Szymecko, 19, Brandi Monroe, 19, Kendra Kelly, 19 from Michigan, US, head to watch Barbie at Leicester Square
Crowds of people have flocked to the cinema on Leicester Square to watch a double billing of the two films
The two major titles were released simultaneously today with thousands of fans deciding to buy tickets for both shows leading to a spawning phenomenon known as Barbenheimer
Eager fans gathered this morning at the Vue in Leicester Square to watch Oppenheimer and Barbie. Amongst them was Mitch Corrigan (22) who woke up just after midnight to travel from Somerset for the viewing
Hani Azeemah, 22, added: ‘As a young adult who’s really confused about the uncertainty of the future, it made me feel safe and validated. I thought it would be fake but it was actually very real and raw.’
Chelsey Adusei, 16, whose favourite Barbie was President Barbie, said: ‘It’s really good, different to what I was expecting because it emphasises modern society views today. It was a ten out of ten I really did enjoy it.’
Amongst the buzzing fans in the capital’s cultural hub was one of the film’s stars – Callum Bell, 23, who plays a Ken doll.
He had taken his family to view the new film at Leicester Square and soak up the fanfare the movie had created.
He told MailOnline: ‘It was so amazing, it’s surreal to be watching it. The cast were all so lovely, Greta was amazing to work with, she’s so hands on.
‘It was one of my first jobs as an actor, so it’s hard to even think about what it has become – it’s now massive.’
Gerwig’s satire will go head-to-head in the global box office against Nolan’s intense drama Oppenheimer, which is about the scientist who first created the atomic bomb.
The two major titles were released simultaneously today with thousands of fans deciding to buy tickets for both shows leading to a spawning phenomenon known as Barbenheimer.
Barbie mania has since taken over the UK, with pink wine sales rocketing across the country, according to new figures. Aldi said it had seen a record 35 per cent spike in sales of its Rioja Rose in the week leading up to the movie launch.
Miranda Saul, 24, headed to Leicester Square with her pals Spiky Saul, 22, and Tobias Green, 25, decked out in pink clothing
Anqi Fan, 23, and Manuel Araujo, 23, the new Barbie film is due to be shown in cinemas today with their pink accessories in tow
A group of friends head down to Leicester Square to mark the first day of Barbie being in UK cinemas
Miranda Saul, 24, headed to Leicester Square with her pals Spiky Saul, 22, and Tobias Green, 25, decked out in pink clothing.
She told MailOnline: ‘Dressing up is not something I have ever done before but this is my Marvel.
‘I got up at 7am and went to Oppenheimer dressed in pink. It’s just fun.’
Marlia Van’t Sant, 22, who had been to see Barbie with a gaggle of friends said ‘It was better than I thought it was going to be, deeper than I thought’, while Anerka Raj, 23, said she was a ‘whole new person’ after watching it.
Amongst the first through the doors to see Robbie and Gosling’s film were Charlie Wootton, 24, Jordan Mander, 28, Rob Corbishley, 24, who donned pink skirts, pink cowboy hats and even pink socks.
The trio who had travelled down from Kettering in Northampton this morning, enjoyed a few beers on their train down, decided to start with off with Barbie ‘for starter’ followed by Oppenheimer ‘for main’ and beers ‘for dessert’.
Charlie who wore a black tutu and a pink cowboy hat said: ‘It’s going to be an all dayer, Barbie for starter, Oppenheimer for main, beers for dinner.’
His friend Jordan who wore a limited edition pink Barbie tee added: ‘As soon as we saw the date in the calendar for Oppenheimer we were like yes let’s do it, but we didn’t think Barbie would be this big and it’s actually become the main event’.
Emily, 18, dressed up in Barbie-merch headed to the Vue Cinema in Leicester Square this morning to watch the first showing. She grew up playing with Barbie and to her Margot Robbie was the perfect choice to star in the film
Friends Reece Reidy, 23, and Beth Minpoli, 20, changed their shifts at work to be able to come and watch the first Barbie screening of the day in Leeds city centre
Barbie fans on holiday from Michigan were among the first to go view the film at Leicester Square
Barbie superfan Callum Broadhead, 18, wore a full pink suit as he headed into watch the film
Excited fans queued up this morning to get into to see Oppenheimer and Barbie in cinemas
Greta Gerwig’s satire will go head-to-head in the global box office against Christopher Nolan’s intense drama Oppenheimer
Hundreds of fans swarmed to watch Barbie and Oppenheimer this morning. Amongst them were Charlie Wootton, 24, Jordan Mander, 28, Rob Corbishley, 24, clad in pink tutus and fedora hats
Londoner Karol Olszewski, 23, dressed up in pink trousers and a pink and white Mean Girls top as he went to the first showing.
He told MailOnline: said: ‘I’m very excited, the Barbie film has been my whole personality for the past few months. It’s a cultural experience, the theatres are filled out. I think Barbie is playing up to the narrative of the male gaze so I wanted to wear a lot of pink.’
Barbie fanatic Emily, 18, added: ‘I really like the Barbieheimer hype. Rather than pitting the two against each other, they are all coming together and embracing it – both casts as well. Hopefully I’ll catch Oppenheimer on Sunday.’
Film maker Mitch Corrigan, 22, who left his home in Somerset just after midnight today to watch the serious Oppenheimer followed by some light relief with Barbie.
His verdict was that while Nolan’s film was definitely worth the early start, he was not as convinced about Gerwig’s.
He told MailOnline ahead of the showing: ‘I’m inspired to see Barbie after Oppenheimer, it finished about half an hour ago.
‘I’m not confident it’s going to be better but it might be what I need right now. I’m in London see a little life but thought I’d come and see a few films, I’m hoping to catch Mission Impossible and another maybe.’
Giving his verdict briefly as he scurried on to see Mission Impossible, Mitch concluded that ‘Oppenheimer was worth the journey, but maybe Barbie wasn’t.’
Others, however, branded the film as ‘so good’ and ‘worth the hype and even more’.
Karol Olszewski, 23, lives in London, wore pink trousers and a pink Mean Girls t-shirt to the opening of Barbie at Leicester Square today
Hazel, 15, from Texas, United States, was worried she would be missing out on watching the new film while on holiday in London but managed to get to the first viewing at Leicester Square
Others online gushed about the movie. One on Twitter said: ‘Barbie movie was a thousand percent worth the hype. I laughed, I cried, I never knew what to expect. So damn good. Oscar for all of them and Ryan Gosling should get a Grammy too.’
Another added ‘Loved loved loved the Barbie movie definitely worth the hype’ while a third said ‘the barbie movie is actually so good like so worth the hype its getting’.
Aaliyah Valentine, 17, is watching Barbie as a priority before catching Oppenheimer later on today.
She said: ‘I’ve been really looking forward since I heard about the Barbie film, I was really exited because when I was younger I used to play with Barbie’s so it’s like I grew up with her.
‘I really like Margot Robbie, I’ve seen her in suicide squad and her other films so I like her as an actress.’
Simon Humphrey, 42, who works in a bookshop and is on holiday in London said ahead of the show: ‘I watch a lot of films and I have never seen a film be so sold out on so many screenings. I looked at the Vue, Cineworld, one on Tottenham Court Road just to get a good viewing time.’
Reviewing the film, Simon said: ‘Glad to have seen it and think it’s something I enjoyed generally, but not quite as much as I thought I would.’
Both films spent $100 million each on production costs but are expected to rake in millions. Pictured: The Vue Cinema in Leicester Square
Margot…
