You would have thought that this year’s summer blockbuster season had already begun after all the mermaids, superheroes, talking robots, and superspies that had already flooded theaters during the previous several weeks. However, you still haven’t seen Barbenheimer!
The reality is that things are only getting started, especially for movie fans who have been eagerly awaiting to see Barbie and Oppenheimer double features. It’s crazy to think about, given all the new movies that have lately come out.
The extremely public internet battle between Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer” and Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie” all began with a date: July 21.
The stark contrast between an intense, serious-minded film about the man who oversaw the development of the atomic bomb and a lighthearted, candy-colored anthropomorphizing of a childhood doll quickly became the stuff of viral fodder. Studios frequently counterprogram films in different genres on a big weekend.
There is significant debate as to whether the name is “Barbieheimer,” “Barbenheimer,” or “Boppenheimer.” Let’s see the meaning behind the word “Barbenheimer.”
What does Barbenheimer mean?
Conjunctive term characterizing the frenzy surrounding the July 21, 2023 releases of Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer and Gretta Gerwig’s Barbie adaption. Due to the extended anticipation for both movies, many people want to see them back-to-back, which has led to jokes about how diametrically opposed the themes and tones of the two movies are.
The movies “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer,” both directed by Greta Gerwig and Christopher Nolan, have the same release date but not much else. In the former, J. Robert Oppenheimer, the physicist who invented the atomic bomb, is profiled, while in the latter, Barbie’s genesis tale is told in a bizarre manner.
A comedy contrasts a drama. Warner Brothers and Universal. Black and orange contrast with vibrant pink. While the films’ themes and visuals couldn’t be more unlike, each have an all-star cast, well-regarded filmmakers, and positive early reviews.
The anticipation around both movies, both alone and in relation to one another, as well as the obsession with their conflicting release dates, has taken on a life of its own. The “Barbenheimer” phenomena was thus established.
Barbie and Oppenheimer are two of the blockbuster of summer 2023
Greta Gerwig’s Barbie movie for Warner Bros. Discovery has already permeated so much of the popular culture conversation that it will struggle to live up to the anticipation when it eventually opens in July.
Barbie, the phenomena — this corporate-owned IP event that has been drawn into controversy and political drama — has been intriguing to live through even if Barbie, the movie, doesn’t turn out to be especially engaging. And it feels like something we’ll be discussing at the year’s end when we reflect on how bizarre 2023 was.
According to a new featurette from Universal that describes all of the actual effects used in the production, Oppenheimer is not only one of filmmaker Christopher Nolan’s longest movies, but it’s also building up to be one of his biggest in scope.
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Similar to Barbie, Oppenheimer has already seen an unanticipated surge of criticism that has more to do with the reactions to the film than the actual content of the work. But it also seems like an indication that when Oppenheimer opens in theaters, it’s going to be one of the more well-liked and over-discussed releases of the year.
The Barbenheimer phenomena is entertaining and mostly risk-free. Barbenheimer has a melancholy quality, despite the fact that it’s nice that adults have not just one but two decently mature films to look forward to in the same summer week.
It has more to do with what we’ve come to accept in the realm of movies than it does with the projects themselves. If both Barbie and Oppenheimer perform well at the box office, it will be a terrific day in Hollywood and quite good for everyone who cares about movies.
Featured image credit: Polygon
