‘Amazing to see the whole area buzzing with excitement’ – Eden CEO on Barbie’s unstoppable run

For Simon De Cesare, CEO of Eden Leisure Group, a diversified business group which includes Eden Cinemas, the Barbie movie has heralded a period of high activity that shows no sign of slowing down.

“It is amazing to see the whole area buzzing with excitement,” he tells MaltaCEOs.mt, noting that the movie is still selling out theatres three weeks into its run.

It was seen as “an excuse to dress up in pink and take photos”, and thousands made the most of this opportunity, says Mr De Cesare.

“Mattel spent more on marketing Barbie than it did on the actual film and it was clear that it was not lost on the public.”

Barbie, which stars Margot Robbie in the title role opposite Ryan Gosling as Ken, has achieved a total international box office gross of over €1 billion, similar to other blockbusters like Spider Man: No Way Home (2021) and Jurassic World Dominion (2022), the latter of which was partly shot in Malta.

However, Mr De Cesare says that as far as Eden Cinemas is concerned, “it doesn’t compare”.

“Barbie has done more in three weeks than either of those films has done in their life at our cinemas.”

He attributes the buzz in part to the fact that Barbie lends itself to a “great audience experience before, during and after the film”.

“Many love it and many hate it, but everyone has to see it.”