"Barbenheimer" is the new internet phenomenon

Barbie and Oppenheimer released on same day

Remember the "twin films" theory, when two very similar-themed movies are set to be released in the same month? This usually happens when the studios get competitive and by releasing their similar themed movies shortly one after the other, re-directing the audience's attention to the new release. Some of the famous 'twin films are Dwayne Johnson's Hercules and The Legend of Hercules, both being released within months of each other. There are also romantic comedies of No Strings Attached and Friends with Benefits, where both were released in January 2011. Twin animations of Antz and A bugs life were also released a month apart. There was also the Dark Knight and Mamma Mia, but instead of sharing the genre and theme, they shared the exact same release date.

Today, 21st of July 2023, is another 'twin films' day for Barbie and Oppenheimer, arguably the two potential biggest movies of the year.

Barbie is a colourful uplifting comedy, featuring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, directed by Greta Gerwig and her husband Noah Baumbach, backed by Warner Bros.

Oppenheimer thriller is quite the opposite of Barbie. Oppenheimer is based on a true story, showing the terrifying times of the first nuclear bomb development. Starring Cillian Murphy and Emily Blunt. Directed by one of the most respected directors in Hollywood, Christopher Nolan and his wife, backed by Universal.

So how exactly are these completely different movies that have the exact same release date? Is it a coincidence or was it deliberate? Cristopher Nolan has been working with Warner Bros for a good chunk of his career, but since he departed from the production company and teamed up with Universal, rumours say this may have something to do with the release date clash.

Oppenheimer is said to be the ultimate filmmaking craft that brings true historical events live to the audience with IMAX quality assurance. The high level of details and top technological skills have all been put to work and promised the viewers a realistic nuclear explosion effect without computer-generated images. And if this is not enough to attract all the action-addict movie fanatics, nothing else will. This spine-chilling super intense thriller has received solid strong reviews of 93% on Rotten Tomatoes, but will it be the audience’s first choice?

While one may think that Barbie is just yet another way to capitalise on the long-standing Barbie franchise IP, it could be a surprise for all. Convincing 'non-Barbie fans to watch the film is not easy. In fact, Margot Robbie recognised that the pink and Barbie theme would make it challenging to show that this is an eccentric and highly artistic comedy with a deep main message behind it all, therefore it may not be the first choice of movie for people to watch. Margot said herself in an interview that "Our goal is to be like 'whatever you're thinking, we're going to give you something totally different. The thing you didn't know you wanted!" And while she admitted in another interview that she may have overpromised on the movie, Barbenheimer may have just done that for them.

The internet-created 'phenomenon Barbenheimer has drawn so much attention that people who were not into Pink and Perfect comedies are now rooting for the movie and embracing the change by stepping out of their comfort zone and watching Barbie. For the loyal Barbie lovers this movie will be the 'state of the art going hand in hand with nostalgic utopia, becoming real on the screen this Friday in cinemas.

Two perfectly crafted masterpieces, sharing the same date release, but which one are you going to watch first?