Since the dawn of time, mankind’s entire existence has been founded on constantly asking oneself questions: What is my purpose? What was I made for? Did I leave the stove on? Until 21 July when a new question arose…
Should I watch Oppenheimer or Barbie first?
This year, one of the most bizarre but beautiful cinematic events happened, an event that prompted people to exclaim, “Cinema is back, baby!” The creator of the atomic bomb and a blonde bombshell both exploded on the silver screen this summer, in a double feature of Greta Gerwig’s whimsical fantasy comedy, Barbie, and Christopher Nolan’s harrowing biopic of the man who doomed us all, Oppenheimer. However, a clash between Nolan and Gerwig fans has evolved since the films’ development during 2022, a battle between the centrist techbros who worship Saint Nolan, and the girls-next-door who have crippling mommy issues. Or at least, that’s what Warner Bros and Universal hoped would happen after scheduling Barbie and Oppenheimer to release on the same day.
Except something much more wholesome happened. Matt Neglia first coined the term “Barbenheimer” on Twitter back in April 2022; little did Neglia know that he started a phenomenon that would unite filmgoers across the aisle. When the double feature was released on 21 July, everyone donned their fedoras, dug out that pink shirt they haven’t worn since 2008, and greeted their fellow moviegoers with a “Hi Barbie! Hi Oppie!” In an era where hyper-individuality and isolation are at an all-time high, dressing up with your friends and singing along seemed to be only reserved for a cult classic re-releasing in selected cinemas for the 48th consecutive year in a row. Yet, Barbenheimer led to something Hollywood has been struggling to conjure for years: an all-out, all-encompassing cinematic event, with what was essentially free marketing from enthusiastic fans.
Perhaps one of the reasons why a phenomenon like this happened is that it’s a counterstrike against home cinema. During a bleak period during the COVID-19 pandemic, movies would go straight to streaming, thereby almost killing an already dying cinema industry as we know it. In fact, during 2021, Oppenheimer was planned to be released straight to digital, until Nolan stepped in and advocated for a cinematic release. The metamorphosis of Barbenheimer is a clear sign that people love the community of a cinematic experience, even if it drains their bank account. Many people involved with both productions also wholly advocated people going out and seeing both releases, as Cillian Murphy exclaimed as enthusiastically as he’s capable of, “What’s better than spending a whole day in the cinema?” Seeing your thousand-yard fluoride stare in glorious IMAX for three hours straight is worth it, Cillian.
But what does this mean for the industry as a whole? Nicholas Barber at BBC News argues that “neither film is the kind of mainstream blockbuster that would dominate the box office”. As of 11 September, Barbie has grossed $1.4 billion worldwide and Oppenheimer has grossed $890 million, which should be a sign that audiences are clamouring for more out-of-the-box ideas that blows away people’s expectations. At the present, Mattel is planning a Mattel Cinematic Universe with their other line of toys, and Nolan is purported to be planning an Avengers-style sequel called Oppenheimer 2: The Rise of JFK. The last part is mostly a joke, but once again Hollywood executives are learning the wrong lessons and turning art into a lucrative brand. Kelly Reichardt commented on the Barbenheimer phenomenon, stating that“they are part of a huge marketing machine, but they are sold as art … I wonder what this will do to people’s expectations for future films.”
We will have to keep an eye out on the future for cinematic releases, but until then, get ready for Saw Patrol, coming to theatres on 29 September!
“Barbie Alamagordo set” by Lars Plougmann is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.