![Barbie fans Sarah Hyland, Lara Ghaly, Jonathan Ward, and Ling Richardson. Picture by Sitthixay Ditthavong Barbie fans Sarah Hyland, Lara Ghaly, Jonathan Ward, and Ling Richardson. Picture by Sitthixay Ditthavong](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/hU74HdTxzzWB78D7znDAb9/09c85b90-669f-4efc-8afe-93907ff40953.jpg/r0_0_5915_3943_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
This week Ling Richardson and Lara Ghaly will be putting the final touches on their perfect Barbie-inspired outfits. Meanwhile, Jonathan Ward is going to bleach his hair to complete his Ken look.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
And Sarah Hyland? Well, she'll probably be too excited to sleep because the moment she has waited for the past year has finally arrived. Greta Gerwig's Barbie movie, starring Margot Robbie, is hitting the big screen. And they already have their tickets lined up to see it.
"Barbie's just so cool. She's so fun. Everything I'd like to be is Barbie. I mean, she wasn't a presidential nominee for nothing - I'm just saying," Ms Hyland said.
"But I think the film will introduce new people to Barbie because I feel it's like one of those things where people put it in a niche.
"Certain people just go 'Oh, Barbie's this one thing', but she's like so many different things. And I feel like it's going to open the door for people to see that.
"I could live in this pink world forever. I wish they always had this level of hype. This is the way it should always be."
![Barbie fans Sarah Hyland, Jonathan Ward, and Lara Ghaly. Picture by Sitthixay Ditthavong Barbie fans Sarah Hyland, Jonathan Ward, and Lara Ghaly. Picture by Sitthixay Ditthavong](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/hU74HdTxzzWB78D7znDAb9/552e9396-10a2-4a99-bed3-2d2a382ba826.jpg/r0_0_6000_4000_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
And Ms Hyland and her friends are not alone.
Palace Cinema in New Acton is expecting 300 to 400 people at Wednesday's preview event - which will include costumes, photo activations and speciality drinks - with even more people booking for the days following Thursday's official release.
According to the cinema's head of marketing Alex Moir, they're expecting 10,000 people to watch the film throughout its time on the big screen.
MUST READS:
"The buzz and anticipation surrounding Barbie is the highest we've seen since the pandemic, and among the highest we have ever seen for a theatrical release," he said.
"Usually we wouldn't see this level of engagement unless it was a James Bond or a Marvel film. Our presales are the highest we've ever had for a theatrical release, but we also have a bigger circuit than we did pre-pandemic."
According to Mr Moir, it is also a case of what came first - the chicken or the egg.
Because as much as Barbie is a cultural icon, decades in the making, the only way a film can capture this level of zeitgeist is through the support of a theatrical release.
"Barbie is obviously a cultural and commercial icon, but the way this film seems to be subverting what Barbie represents is certainly contributing to its broader interest," he said.
"The marketing campaign has been phenomenal, and among the best the industry has ever seen, at prospecting to audiences that love Barbie, but also those that hate her, and both can have a great time.
"[But] without a theatrical release, no film can achieve this level of cultural significance."
Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content:
- Bookmark canberratimes.com.au
- Download our app
- Make sure you are signed up for our breaking and regular headlines newsletters
- Follow us on Twitter
- Follow us on Instagram