Barbie writer Greta Gerwig shares pivotal scene she had to fight from being axed from final cut

However, this hasn't stopped some criticism of the film's plot, with some viewers branding it "woke" and "anti-man" due to its tongue-in-cheek mocking of the "patriarchy" of the real world.

There are a number of scenes which have come under this kind of critique but ultimately, the numbers prove moviegoers haven't been put off from parting ways with their cash to watch it.

One scene which has garnered a lot of attention elsewhere is when Barbie (played by Robbie) comes face to face with and old lady at a bus stop during her foray into the real world.

After realising the real world isn't all fun and games where women are lauded - like Barbieland's matriarchal society - a tearful Barbie takes a moment to reflect.

She turns to the older lady - a figure not seen before in Barbieland - and calls her "beautiful" before her tears are replaced with a beaming smile.

The introspection this scene offers Barbie also provides a turning point in the film as Barbie sets out to learn more about the differences between the real world and Barbieland - while Ken takes a different approach and tries to implement the patriarchy he's witnessed back to the idealistic, doll-populated civilisation.

However, the heartwarming moment almost didn't make the final edit of Barbie according to director Greta Gerwig.

"I love that scene so much," she said of the moment in question. "And the older woman on the bench is the costume designer Ann Roth. She’s a legend."

She explained further to Rolling Stone: "It’s a cul-de-sac of a moment, in a way — it doesn’t lead anywhere.

"And in early cuts, looking at the movie, it was suggested, 'Well, you could cut it. And actually, the story would move on just the same.'"

However, Gerwig stood firm: "And I said, 'If I cut the scene, I don’t know what this movie is about.'

"To me, this is the heart of the movie. The way Margot plays that moment is so gentle and so unforced."

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Gerwig's decision-making clearly paid off as her choices while making the Barbie not only resulted in it raking in staggering box office numbers, but also bagged her an impressive record.

Barbie's impressive opening weekend means Gerwig has broken the domestic box office record for a female director in North America.

The reception received by Barbie - and Oppenheimer - also prompted cinema chain Vue to reveal its highest weekend admission for four years.

Tim Richards, chief executive and founder of Vue International, said in a statement: “Vue saw its highest weekend admissions since Avengers: Endgame in 2019 with the release of Barbie and Oppenheimer, proving that when the movies are there our customers will come to watch them on the big screen.

“Barbie is tracking to become the biggest film of 2023 and has a good chance of getting into the Top 10 highest grossing films of all time.

“It is an incredibly exciting moment for the industry, and we expect this trend to continue for the coming weeks.”