Barbie made $1 billion but Ken to star at Oscars!
HE PLAYS the confused bloke at the heart of Hollywood’s biggest rallying cry for women in decades – and tonight he will be the star of the show at the 96th Academy Awards.
Barbie’s squeeze Ken will appear alongside 65 of his namesakes in a rousing performance of the Oscarnominated song I’m Just Ken, in what appears to be a bid to drag the awards into the 21st Century.
Barbie was last year’s most successful film, taking an eye-watering €1bn at the box office – and while it is nominated for Best Picture, its director Greta
Gerwig and its star Margot Robbie have controversially missed out. A source who saw a rehearsal for the performance, starring Ryan Gosling – who played ‘main Ken’ and is nominated for Best Supporting Actor – said: ‘Ryan’s performance is over the top and everyone is expecting it to be the thing everyone is talking about after tonight’s show. ‘Hollywood talks a good talk about diversity, but when it comes down to it, a white guy will be the star of the show, so it’s business as usual at the Oscars.’
While Barbie is expected to win a handful of smaller awards, the film will be ‘front and centre’ in a ceremony desperate to attract younger viewers.
The Mail on Sunday understands at least a dozen of the world’s top online influencers have been invited to the ceremony this year, to ‘bring the Oscars kicking and screaming into the real world’.
A source said: ‘Expect lots of jokes about the patriarchy. The Academy needs to connect with a younger audience. Which is why they are inviting influencers with millions of followers. They are hoping Ken will go viral.’
Oppenheimer, starring Cillian Murphy, about the creator of the atomic bomb, created a cultural phenomenon known as ‘Barbenheimer’ when it opened on the same day as Barbie.
Oppenheimer is expected to sweep the board tonight.
But insiders say Auschwitz drama The Zone Of Interest could cause an upset in the best picture category.