Margot Robbie's Barbie steals the show at CinemaCon

In a starry presentation that included Timothée Chalamet, Oprah Winfrey, Zendaya and a first look at Dune: Part Two, Barbie was no doubt the brightest star of Warner Bros.' CinemaCon showcase. In fairness, the neon pink might have given her the advantage.

It was a splashy presentation for anxious theater owners in Las Vegas from a studio in transition, with new leadership teams in place to oversee films and create a 10-year plan for iconic DC Comics characters like Superman. Within the past year, Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy were selected to lead the studio's film group while James Gunn and Peter Safran stepped in to head DC Studios.

Tuesday evening, CinemaCon attendees were among the first to see The Flash (out June 15 in the UAE as per cinemas) — a film that has been the source of extra scrutiny because of star Ezra Miller’s series of arrests and reports of erratic behaviour.

Miller did not appear on stage in Las Vegas alongside director Andy Muschietti, though Muschietti talked about his lead, saying how Ezra, who did all the stunts, is probably one of the best actors he has worked with.

Safran also previewed the upcoming Aquaman and Blue Beetle movies, but did not have much to say about their plans beyond 2023.

Here are some other highlights from day two of CinemCon

First look at Dune sequel

The audience cheered for a pulsating first look at Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part Two, which hits theaters on November 3.

“Part One was a more contemplative movie,” Villeneuve said. "Part Two is more action packed, an epic war movie.”

Not only is it “more dense” but it was also filmed entirely in IMAX, he said. The first movie was about “40% IMAX.”

Dune: Part Two picks up with Chalamet’s young hero Paul Atreides and Zendaya’s Chani right where he left them. Chani, Zendaya promised, is “not just in dreams this time.”

The two characters, she added, are trying to balance just being young people in the world with the weight of having to also be warriors for their people.

Dune 2 adds actors like Austin Butler, Christopher Walken and Florence Pugh to the already big ensemble.

The pitch to Butler, Villeuneuve said, was to play an “Olympic sword master mixed with a psychotic serial killer.” The Elvis star said yes.

Margot Robbie's Barbie, Ryan Gosling's Ken stand out

Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling and writer-director Greta Gerwig unveiled a new trailer for the candy-colored extravaganza. The promotional spot revealed more about the film’s mysterious plot, including the fact that Robbie’s Barbie experiences some “imperfect” things like burnt toast and flat feet and goes searching for the truth about the universe.

Robbie, who produced and stars, was the engine behind the project. She was the one who asked Greta Gerwig to help make the film.

Gerwig and her partner Noah Baumbach co-wrote the script and, Gerwig said, when they finished she got the sense that he liked it so much that he wanted to direct it.

“I said, ‘Step aside,’” Gerwig laughed. “I was so in love with it I couldn’t imagine anyone else doing it.”

While writing, she said she jotted down the name “Ryan Gosling” for Ken, though she had neither met him nor had any idea if he’d be interested.

Gosling, most know by now, was. On stage at Caesars Palace, Gosling wore a T-shirt with Gerwig’s name on it in the Barbie font.

“I have to be honest, up until this point I only knew Ken from afar,” Gosling said. “I didn’t know Ken from within.”

“I doubted my Kenergy,” Gosling continued. “Greta and Margot, I feel like they conjured this out of me. ... I was living my life and then one day I was bleaching my hair, shaving my legs and wearing bespoke neon outfits and roller blading down Venice Beach."

“We’re all in on motion pictures,” Zaslav said.