‘Barbie’ and ‘Oppenheimer’ clash in ‘Barbenheimer’ box-office smackdown
“Barbenheimer” is officially upon us as “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” both open in movie theaters.
Moviegoers nationwide now face a cinematic conundrum affectionately known as “Barbenheimer.”
Which movie are you more excited to watch this weekend in a surefire box-office smackdown?
The storylines couldn’t be any more different. One movie is a delightful comedy fantasy about the popular Mattel doll Barbie, who begins to question her plastic existence and ventures outs to explore the real world. The other film is a historical thriller about the true story of J. Robert Oppenheimer, the American theoretical physicist who invented the atomic bomb as part of the Manhattan Project in a race against the Nazis during World War II.
You can’t go wrong with the casts, which are both stellar. Oscar nominees Margot Robbie (“I, Tonya”) and Ryan Gosling (“La La Land”) are perfectly cast as Barbie and Ken with devoted fans from “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” and “The Notebook.” However, Harley Quinn better bring her baseball bat to face the Scarecrow from Christopher Nolan’s “Batman Begins” as Cillian Murphy plays Oppenheimer with the support of his wife Kitty (Emily Blunt).
Best of all, both of these films feature two of the most dynamic filmmakers working today. “Barbie” is ironically helmed by indie darling Greta Gerwig (“Lady Bird,” “Little Women”), who brings a quirky sensibility to the shiny pink packaging, while “Oppenheimer” is directed by the masterful Nolan (“Memento,” “Inception,” and “Dunkirk”), who switches from color to black-and-white throughout the film (see it in 70 mm IMAX if you can).
Life in plastic is fantastic, but life in nuclear is explosive, so which should you see? Why choose? The film industry is hoping folks will choose to make it a “Barbenheimer” double feature. AMC Theatres reports that AMC Stubs members have already purchased 20,000 tickets to the double feature for a total runtime of 294 minutes.
Local movie theaters are getting in on the fun by offering an array of themed promotions.
The Alamo Drafthouse Cinemas in Northeast D.C. and Crystal City, Ashburn and Woodbridge, Virginia, are hosting a special Slumber Party Screening for folks to wear pink pajamas, as well as a “Barbie-core” screening with a costume contest for fans dressed like Barbie and Ken. A selfie wall will make for perfect social media posts.
The Angelika Film Center in Fairfax, Virginia, and Angelika Pop-Up at Union Market in D.C. are offering free popcorn to anyone who buys tickets to the double feature. The former will also serve Pink Perfection Kettlecorn, Shrimp Couture Flatbread, Strawberrylicious Ice Cream Sundaes, Beachy Keen Cocktails and Think Pink Mocktails.
Meanwhile in Maryland, Warehouse Cinemas in Frederick and Baltimore are fittingly serving pink popcorn for “Barbie” and a Smoked Manhattan Project drink with “smoking gun” bubbles for “Oppenheimer.”