The viral sensation that’s been caused by the same-day release of Barbie, from Greta Gerwig and Oppenheimer, from Christopher Nolan has caused a stir from TikTok all the way to Hollywood premieres as moviegoers both famous and anonymous are keen to treat themselves to the most contrasting of double bills, as AMC have announced today in a press release, revealing that over 20,000 customers have already purchased double bill tickets.
The movies could scarcely be more different, and yet, both have captured the imagination. Oppenheimer is a super intense and gritty three-hour drama with Cillian Murphy, Matt Damon, Robert Downey Jr., and Emily Blunt, about the American theoretical physicist who’s the mastermind behind creating the atomic bombs that finally ended the Second World War. Meanwhile, Barbie, starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, is a wild and hilarious fantasy comedy. It’s all about Barbie and Ken, your childhood doll pals, from Barbie-Land, who decide to explore the real world and find themselves on a meta, self-aware, deranged adventure of self-discovery.
The portmanteau of Barbieheimer or Barbenheimer has been used on social media to pair up the two films — which are competing in one sense and not in another —with many enthusiastic fans planning to see both films on the same day. They’re not alone in this, as even Tom Cruise, the star of Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One which will be playing in movie theaters alongside the two films, has stated that he’ll be going to see Oppenheimer in the afternoon, and seeing Barbie later in the evening. Cruise and his director on Mission, Christopher McQuarrie, also took part in a campaign for Cineworld in the United Kingdom encouraging fans to go and see both films as well as Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. Oppenheimer star Murphy endorsed the phenomenon, saying “My advice would be for people to go see both, on the same day. If they are good films, then that’s cinema’s gain.”
AMC Are Delighted By The Sensation
“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,” says Elizabeth Frank, executive VP of worldwide programming and chief content officer at AMC Theatres. “Just as exciting, with 10 days to go until these movies open, this may only be the beginning. From Friday to today, we saw a 33% increase in the number of guests who decided to create their own double feature by purchasing tickets to see both movies on the same day. We are thrilled to see this momentum.”
Based on preliminary forecasts, Barbie is projected to surpass Oppenheimer in terms of initial ticket sales. Ironically, Oppenheimer is forecast to have greater legs than Barbie as it’s believed Barbie may be top-heavy when it comes to front-loading box office returns. However, there is a possibility that Mission: Impossible with its substantial budget, could reclaim the top position on the domestic box office charts during the weekend prior, as that has a nine-day head start on the pair.
Barbie and Oppenheimer open on July 21.
via Collider