You've seen the memes, you love the memes, and according to first reactions – everyone seems to love Barbie and Oppenheimer, too. Whether it's because of the internet's frenzy over the release date clash, or the pure love of Cinema, tens of thousands of people have already purchased tickets for the Barbenheimer double feature.
"That more than 20,000 moviegoers have already made plans and purchased tickets to see Barbie and Oppenheimer on the same day is a great sign that the growing online conversation around seeing both of these incredible films is turning into ticket sales," said Elizabeth Frank, executive vp worldwide programming & chief content officer of AMC Theatres (via The AV Club).
When news first hit the Internet that Greta Gerwig's fantasy-comedy and Christopher Nolan's historical drama would both be dropping on the same day, people were absolutely tickled. There's a level of absurdity here: Gerwig's Barbie is a surrealist comedy that sees Barbie (Margot Robbie) becoming self-aware and deciding to embark on a trip to the 'real world' in order to discover what life is truly about; Nolan's Oppenheimer is a historical biopic that aims to chronicle the trials and tribulations of the brilliant but troubled J. Robert Oppenheimer.
- Netflix CCO claims that Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer would have had same cultural impact if it was a Netflix exclusive
- The Brutalist director hopes his new movie proves Oppenheimer's commercial success wasn't a fluke: "People are actually interested in all of these things that sales companies frequently tell you are like box office poison"
All things considered, it makes for a perfect double feature. Laugh, cry, and sing along with one movie...and then fear for the state of the world after watching the other.
Barbie and Oppenheimer both hit cinemas on July 21. For more, check out our list of the most exciting upcoming movies in 2023 and beyond.
