Nelson’s Column was lit up in Barbie pink last night in an apparent bid to mark the hotly anticipated film’s European premiere.
But just hours before the London monument celebrated the blockbuster starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, Trafalgar Square had been the site of the Oppenheimer photocall.
Film fans are puzzled over Mayor Sadiq Khan’s decision to honour fictional Barbie Land over Christopher Nolan’s biographical thriller, which tells the story of the real-life theoretical physicist who helped develop the first nuclear weapons.
The tribute is seemingly the latest move in the battle of Barbenheimer, as fans have dubbed it, as both films – set for release on the same day – hope to rake it in at the Box Office this year after spending more than £76million ($100million) each on production.
This is not the first time the London landmark has been transformed to mark a film release. It was also lit up as a giant lightsaber in 2015 to celebrate the premiere for Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
Nelson’s Column was lit up in Barbie pink last night in an apparent bid to mark the hotly anticipated film’s European premiere
Film fans are puzzled over Mayor Sadiq Khan’s decision to honour fictional Barbie Land over Christopher Nolan’s biographical thriller, which tells the story of the real-life theoretical physicist who helped develop the first nuclear weapons
Margot Robbie attends the Barbie European Premiere at Cineworld Leicester Square yesterday
Fans say it is ‘funny’ that Nelson’s Column – which was built in tribute to Admiral Horatio Nelson who died at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805 – was lit up for Barbie when Oppenheimer had been honoured in the square just hours prior.
The film, which stars Cillian Murphy, details J. Robert Oppenheimer’s role in the Manhattan Project and development of nuclear weapons during World War II.
‘Trafalgar Square in Barbie pink! This is quite funny considering they had the Oppenheimer premiere a few hours ago there,’ one film fan tweeted.
Another echoed: ‘Actually very funny for Trafalgar Square to have turned pink for the Barbie premiere just a couple of hours after the Oppenheimer photocall.’
Warner Bros, the firm producing and distributing the film, presumably paid a large sum to light up the monument as it cost Disney £24,000 to hire the square and the monument nearly eight years ago.
The company has carried out a huge marketing campaign to promote Barbie that has turned the capital pink.
London’s iconic Black cabs and red double-decker buses are now Barbie pink and feature portraits of Robbie and Gosling as Barbie and Ken.
Barbie’s pink convertible was also on display in the capital and a bright pink Tardis police call box was placed on the banks of Tower Bridge.
MailOnline has approached the Greater London Authority and Warner Bros for comment.
Fans say it is ‘funny’ that Nelson’s Column was lit up for Barbie when Oppenheimer had been honoured in the square just hours prior
Disney paid £24,000 to hire Trafalgar Square to promote The Force Awakens in December 2015. It is not clear how much Disney paid on top of that to light up Nelson’s Column.
The London landmark was transformed as stars of the movie followed a group of stormtroopers and Darth Vader down the red carpet during the European premiere at Leicester Square.
The publicity stunt led to accusations that Britain’s heritage was ‘up for sale’, prompting questions over why one of the country’s most iconic monuments was being used to promote a Hollywood film.
The historic landmark was turned blue to celebrate the Star Wars premiere – Disney paid the Greater London Authority £24,000 for use of the square and column
Nelson’s Column in Trafalgar Square was lit upt as a giant lightsaber as the première for the film went on in nearby Leicester Square
Nelson’s Column, which stands in the very heart of London, was built in tribute to Admiral Horatio Nelson, who died at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805.
The monument, which includes a sandstone statute by E.H. Baily, Nelson’s Column, was constructed between 1840 and 1843. The four bronze lions on the base were added in 1867.
The pedestal is decorated with four bronze panels, cast from captured French guns, and depict the Battle of Cape St Vincent, the Battle of the Nile, the Battle of Copenhagen and the Death of Nelson at Trafalgar.
