One of the biggest events in pop culture this year was “Barbenheimer,” which was the simultaneous release of Barbie and Oppenheimer, as each film featured a star-studded ensemble that made them some of the most anticipated movies of the year, but according to Barbie‘s Margot Robbie, one Oppenheimer producer tried to get her to move the live-action adaptation of the beloved toy. With each film going on to be a massive financial success, despite opening in theaters the same weekend, it’s difficult to say how a release date shift would have impacted either film, though due to both successes, it’s likely a scenario filmmakers on both projects aren’t interested in exploring.
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“One of your producers, Chuck Roven, called me, because we worked together on some other projects. And he was like, ‘I think you guys should move your date.’ And I was like, ‘We’re not moving our date. If you’re scared to be up against us, then you move your date.’ And he’s like, ‘We’re not moving our date. I just think it’d be better for you to move.’ And I was like, ‘We’re not moving!’ I think this is a really great pairing, actually. It’s a perfect double billing, Oppenheimer and Barbie,” Robbie shared with Oppenheimer star Cillian Murphy in a conversation for Variety. “Clearly the world agreed. Thank God. The fact that people were going and being like, ‘Oh, watch Oppenheimer first, then Barbie.’ I was like, ‘See? People like everything.’ People are weird.”
This “Barbenheimer” release is far from the first time that two movies with distinctly different subject matter and tone competed against one another at the box office on opening weekend, but given that both movies likely could have won the weekend against any film, the excitement surrounding each release and the stark contrast in tones between the movies marked for especially unique attention.
The two films earned nearly $250 million combined in their opening weekend, with Barbie‘s PG-13 rating understandably earning itself the top slot, as Oppenheimer was stifled by its R rating and its three-hour run time.
While their runs at the box office have come to a close, audiences will likely be interested to see how the films stack up with one another as we head towards awards season.
Do you think the films should have opened on different days? Let us know in the comments!
