Cinema really needed the viral phenomenon known as “Barbenheimer.”
Movie theaters are going to be absolutely packed this coming weekend and that’s a wonderful thing to behold, especially given that the current summer movie season has been an epidemic of “flopbusters.”
Here’s Variety assessing the latest numbers:
“Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” couldn’t be less alike, both in tone and subject matter. The only things that they have in common is that they are directed by well-regarded filmmakers and will be released on the same day. That’s it.
The internet has somehow managed to convince hundreds of thousands of people that both of these films have to be seen on the same day:
The National Association of Theatre Owners is projecting that more than 200,000 moviegoers will attend same-day viewings of “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” at theaters across North America. And that’s “in addition to the millions of worldwide moviegoers who are planning to see both films on different days this weekend,” says Michael O’Leary, president and CEO of NATO.
And yet, when the numbers do come in on Sunday, “Barbie” will have probably outgrossed “Oppenheimer” by a 2:1 ratio. All of the 13-year-old girls who go watch “Barbie” will not be able to buy a ticket to the R-rated “Oppenheimer.”
Do I believe studios will team-up in the future to have their blockbusters go head to head during a summer weekend? Of course not. ‘Barbenheimer’ was a fluke. Nolan is even reported to be have been about Warner Bros. scheduling "Barbie" for release on the same weekend as "Oppenheimer.
So, who’s doing a “Barbenheimer” double-bill this weekend? Which movie are you more excited to see?