From life size Barbie boxes to pink popcorn, the Barbie Blowout Party at Regal’s Celebration Pointe theater in Gainesville, Florida, was everything I ever imagined it to be and more. On June 20, Fandango announced that they would be hosting an early screening of the movie alongside “a giant blowout party with all the Barbies, and planned choreography, and a bespoke song” at select theaters across the east coast at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, July 19.
Although the real world is finally in reach for the iconic doll, tickets weren’t for many looking to get their hands on some. Because of the limited availability released, tickets were selling out faster than some people could check out with some theaters being sold out within 30 minutes after being released.
Not much was shared with event-goers on what to expect at each theater, so it truly was a surprise for those in attendance — unless you were lucky enough to attend Cinépolis’ 21+ Movie & A Meal event which included things like a four-course meal and themed cocktails (glitter drinks, anyone?). My experience started with none other than a life-size Barbie box, a pink fringe backdrop, and a Barbie table set up for the ultimate photo opportunity.
After picking up my free movie poster, Regal Barbie-inspired pink popcorn, and a Barbie collector’s cup, I finally scanned my ticket and was gifted a collector’s Barbie pin before heading into the theater. Although my theater didn’t have the rumored Barbie popcorn buckets, some movie-goers lucked out and hopefully you do, too!
One of my most unpopular opinions is that I genuinely enjoy the trailers before a movie, but I wasn’t disappointed last night when we were pleasantly surprised with Barbie Blowout Party sneak peeks like a special listen to Barbie The Album, interactive activities, and QR codes such as the Barbie Selfie Generator and access to the movie’s social toolkit to share exclusive posters, memes, and GIFs.
In an interview with Attitude, Margot Robbie said, “We wanted Barbie Land to feel incredibly inclusive. And we wanted this film to feel like everyone was welcome.” I can tell you that from my experience, the audience in attendance was the most diverse I’ve ever been a part of, with ages ranging from elementary-aged kids to retirement-aged adults, all of whom were dressed head to toe in their hottest themed attire. From Barbie t-shirts, dresses, and jumpsuits, to full-on themed Barbie and Ken cosplay, the sold out theater wasn’t short of Barbie fashion.
Now come on, “get into the box and we’ll go back to Barbieland,” because “the real world’s not what I thought it was.”