‘Barbie’ with Ryan Gosling and Simu Liu on the pink carpet in Toronto

Part of downtown Toronto was turned into Barbieland on Wednesday night to promote the highly anticipated new movie ‘Barbie’.

Canadian actors Ryan Gosling and Simu Liu, who play different versions of the doll Ken in the movie, took on #Kenada as they walked the pink carpet at 600 King St. W.

The historic building received the ‘Barbie’ treatment as hundreds of fans attended the event by invitation. Gosling and Liu take the stage to talk about the movie before walking down the press line for interviews.

Gosling said it was incredible to be back in Canada and thanked the fans. When asked onstage what Ken’s real accessory would be, he paused and said, “Timbits.” It doesn’t get more Canadian than that.

“Seismologists have been studying this for a while. There is a huge resource of Kenergy in Canada,” said Gosling. Liu agreed, adding, “It’s an epicenter.”

When asked what the fans need to know about each of their Kens, Liu laughed out of the house. “I won’t name names, but one of the Kens in the movie can do a backflip. And one of the Kens can’t. And that’s the most important thing I want you to know about our Kens,” he teased, looking at Gosling.

They also awarded a fan the grand prize of a trip for two to Los Angeles with tickets to the Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood, a year’s supply of NYX Cosmetics, and an autographed Kenada surfboard, which both Gosling and Liu signed on stage.

Warner Bros. Canada transformed the venue’s five floors, offering free Barbie and Ken makeovers at a Barbie-fied beauty bar, a chance to explore Ken’s Mojo Dojo Casa House and the pink sands of Kenada Beach.

There were also photo opps for attendees, almost all of whom were dressed in various shades of pink, including stepping into a Barbie box, a #Kenada pink rose photo booth, and photos that could be printed on a cookie. A fan made an exact replica of an outfit Margot Robbie sports in the movie, while Gosling saw cowboy Ken and beach Ken in the room.

Directed by Greta Gerwig, the film follows Barbie (Robbie) and Ken (Gosling), who have the time of their lives in the seemingly perfect world of Barbie Land. However, when they get a chance to go to the real world, they discover the joys and dangers of living among humans.

Barbie is in theaters July 21.

Mariska Fernandes is a Toronto-based entertainment reporter and film critic. She is a freelance contributor for the Star’s Culture section. Follow her on Twitter: @marrs_fers

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