‘Unadulterated joy’: Greta Gerwig’s Barbie movie brings out the crowds

The $145m-budgeted film, starring Margot Robbie, has hit cinemas worldwide, bringing all-pink superfans out in droves

Like it or not, we are all citizens of the state of Barbieland - or at least we were on the eve of Barbie's opening.

Following a year-long wink-wink, think-pink marketing blitz that shaded every corner of the public consciousness in Pantone 219C, masses of film and pop culture devotees squeezed into their rosiest garments and headed to the cinema to see writer-director Greta Gerwig's sparkly tribute to the wasp-waisted Mattel doll. Made in conjunction with the Los Angeles-based toy brand, Barbie is the first of 45 Mattel IP productions in the works.