‘I shed a tear, it was amazing’: Ecstatic Barbie fans flock to Leicester Square for ‘cultural moment of the decade’ to see their film do battle with Oppenheimer (with some hardcore cinephiles sitting through FIVE HOUR double bill)

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.’

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.’

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.

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’. 

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’.

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.’

Emily, 18, said: ‘I have always loved Barbie, grew up playing with them and Margot Robbie is just Barbie to me. The sound track -of what I’ve heard – is really good.

‘I really like the Barbieheimer hype. Rather than pitting the two against eachother, they are all coming together and embracing it – both casts as well. Hopefully I’ll catch Oppenheimer on Sunday.’ 

For many Barbie fans, the film brings about feelings of nostalgia, causing them to reminisce of how their childhoods were spent playing with the much-loved dolls.

‘Every Christmas and birthday there was a Barbie and one year I was really fortunate, my dad got me the Barbie dream house,’ Emily added. 

Holiday goer 15-year-old Hazel from Texas, said: ‘I was really stressed when I found out I wasn’t going to be in the US when Barbie came out, but I’m here.

‘I love Margot Robbie and I’m really excited about Dua Lipa, with her song in it – I loved it when she wore the mermaid wig.

‘I had a Barbie Rapunzel when I was younger, once I tried to wash her hair – don’t do that.’ 

Barbie fans have marked the occasion by grabbing their best pink gear as they head to the cinemas.

Across the country a sea of pink-clad Barbie fans lined up with their popcorn as they walked into theatres.

Some hoping to see both films wore custom clothing with ‘Barbenheimer’ placed all over it.

Even those heading to their workplaces this morning wore a touch of pink to mark the cultural moment – with one store manager at Sauve Owl clothing in Somerset wearing a pink suit.   

Both films are set to rake in millions after spending $100m each on production costs. 

So far the Odeon has reported that more than 300 screenings have sold out for both films and predicts it will sell a million tickets in the next week alone. 

Cineworld expects to enjoy its biggest weekend in terms of ticket sales for years, having already sold 200,000 in advance. 

The chain has branded it the biggest opening since the record-breaking Avengers: Endgame in 2019, which brought in £276m over its first weekend alone. 

In the hours after the films were screened, Rotten Tomato gave Oppenheimer a 93 per cent score while Barbie was given 89 per cent. 

Greta Gerwig’s Barbie sees Margot Robbie, 33, leading the cast as the eponymous Barbie doll alongside her boyfriend Ken, played by Ryan Gosling, 42.

The cast is a who’s who of Hollywood powerhouses, with Will Ferrell playing the CEO of Mattel, and Helen Mirren the narrator.

It follows Barbie who leaves her ‘perfect’ life as a doll and sets out to explore the complexities of being a woman in the real world. 

Meanwhile Oppenheimer features an all-star cast and is led by Cillian Murphy, who plays the theoretical physicist who helped develop the atomic bomb, J. Robert Oppenheimer.

The movie also boasts a stellar cast including Emily Blunt, Robert Downey Jr., and Matt Damon.

The Barbenheimer phenomenon means that the films – which are vastly different from one another – will not be competing but rather helping one another gain more ticket sales. 

David A Gross, founder of Franchise Entertainment Research, added: ‘The two films are going to help each other, not compete with each other, by creating the kind of excitement we’re seeing for moviegoing in general.’

It comes as moviegoers have taken to social media today to share their excitement of seeing both films on the same day.

Tens of thousands are expected to take part in the movie marathon in what will provide a much needed boost to the industry – which has suffered a £5billion loss in the wake of the Covid pandemic.

Over the past few weeks, there has been an ongoing debate on social media as to which film should be viewed first – with many sharing their schedules for the hotly anticipated day online.

Sander Wagner, a 40-year-old researcher from Oxford University, said Barbie would be a ‘dessert’ after watching the more intense Oppenheimer.

He said: ‘Oppenheimer’s probably the more heavy movie that, from everything I’ve heard, takes a bit of digesting.

‘I think Barbie is a fun movie to watch after a drink and it works much more like a palate cleanser or dessert.’

Mr Wagner and his girlfriend will watch Oppenheimer with friends in Oxford.

‘After that, we’ll have probably one or two drinks and dinner at a bar and then we’ll head back to the movie theatre and watch the 9pm Barbie performance,’ he said.

Fellow moviegoer Matt Durrant, a 29-year-old HR manager from south-east London, shared the view that the Barbie film should be watched second.

‘I would prefer to finish off with a lighthearted thing, because the idea is that I think we’re going to go to the pub,’ he said.

Outlining his Barbenheimer plans, he said: ‘I work for one of those very lucky companies where we get Friday afternoons off in the summer so the idea is that a group of workmates are going to go to the cinema.

‘We’re trying to do it back to back. I’m not sure it’s really figured out but we hope with the timings of the ads and everything that it’ll work out.

‘I think it’s quite funny how they’re both out at the same time and I think that’s kind of part of the appeal for why we’re going to see them at the same time.

‘It’s got a lot of hype and I think lots of people just haven’t been back to the cinema since the pandemic.

‘It’s good to support the arts but also, the only thing I’ve seen since the pandemic in the cinema was the Bond film so it feels a bit like a homecoming for the cinema.’