The online confrontation between Barbie of Greta Gerwig and oppenheimer of Christopher Nolan started since they announced their release date: July 21.
Both Nolan and Gerwig have very passionate and eager fans. Even many of those fans overlap and this has led to memes, loyalties and t-shirts, all under the banner of “Barbenheimer”.
Both movies often trend on social media when the other releases a new asset: a sneak peek, an image, an interview.
“’Barbenheimer’ is a marketing gift born of social media and I think it’s benefiting both movies,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at analysis firm Comscore. “Certainly you are aware of both films in a deeper and more compelling way than I think might have happened if they had been released on different weekends.”
The double feature of Barbie and Oppenheimer
US movie theater chain AMC Theaters reported that 20,000 members of its client group AMC Stubs had purchased tickets for both. There are 294 minutes of movies. Even margot robbiewho plays Barbie, and Tom Cruisethe star of another summer blockbuster, have begun planning the ideal “Barbenheimer” day.
“It’s a perfect double feature,” Robbie said at the London premiere of his film. “I think you really start your day with ‘Barbie,’ then it goes right into ‘Oppenheimer,’ and then a little bit more ‘Barbie.'”
Cruise, whose Mission: Impossible Death Sentence – Part One released just over a week before the “Barbenheimer” showdown, he said in his debut that he plans to watch both films on their opening day, likely starting with “Oppenheimer,” which seems to be the internet’s preferred viewing order as well.
Warner Bros. revenge against Christopher Nolan?
Is the competition real or just a meme? Some in Hollywood wondered if Warner Bros. He launched Barbie that weekend as a slight to Nolan, who had released many films for the studio, including The origin and Dunkirk. The director left Warner Bros. in the midst of his controversial decision to release his films (during the pandemic) by streaming and in his place he made oppenheimer with Universal. But a box office war doesn’t exactly make sense for a studio that has recently spoken about looking to lure Nolan back.
There is an unspoken code of conduct: Never speak ill of another studio’s film, at least publicly. This is partly ceremonial, especially when it comes to “box office run-ins”, which everyone will say is a creation of the press with viewers on the sidelines. But it’s also rooted in some truth: The conventional thinking is that having eyes on a movie is good for other movies, they see their posters and trailers. Somehow everyone benefits.
The official accounts of Barbie and Oppenheimer joined the “Barbenheimer”
And social media has also allowed movie stars to get in on the game. Following reports that Cruise was upset that the latest “Mission: Impossible” was going to lose IMAX screens to “Oppenheimer” just a week after its release, Cruise posted photos of him and his film’s director, Christopher McQuarriestanding in front of billboards Barbie and oppenheimerwith tickets for each.
“This summer is full of amazing movies to see in theaters. These are just a few we can’t wait to see on the big screen.”read Cruise’s Instagram caption.
The official accounts of Barbie and oppenheimer They responded with support. Gerwig and Robbie even followed up with a similar series of photos a few days later, which the official account of oppenheimer on Instagram he reposted to his stories. the star of oppenheimer, cillian murphy he told the AP at his film’s London premiere that “of course” he’ll be watching Barbie. The cross-promotion between the big four studios (Universal, Warner Bros., Disney, and Paramount) is something the movie industry hasn’t seen before.
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“Tom Cruise is not only the biggest box office star in the world, but he is also an incredible ambassador for cinema, for the cinema experience and for driving other movies forward”said Dergarabedian. “And that atmosphere in what is considered a very competitive box office race is a nice thing.”
Box office expectations for Barbie and Oppenheimer
As far as box office tracking is concerned, Barbie has forecasts that show it could open in excess of $90 million in the United States and Canada. Meanwhile, oppenheimer It is estimated in the range of 40 million dollars. Even with a second or third place start, oppenheimer she could be destined for a long, steady and profitable run come awards season.
Source: Ambito
I am an author and journalist who has worked in the entertainment industry for over a decade. I currently work as a news editor at a major news website, and my focus is on covering the latest trends in entertainment. I also write occasional pieces for other outlets, and have authored two books about the entertainment industry.
