Forget King Kong versus Godzilla – the future of Hollywood rests on two titans who have never crossed paths, but are now in the face-off of the decade, and history is paying close attention.
While the 2023 summer box office has been a little bit of a bummer, Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer and Greta Gerwig’s Barbie has audiences, including Tom Cruise, excited. The two movies – the former from Universal Pictures and the latter from Warner Bros. Discovery – are going head to head with a same-day release on 21 July, and the internet (as well as the stars) is embracing the heated competition which has now been lovingly dubbed, ‘Barbenheimer’.
Wait, who? Barbie and Oppen-who now? Here’s all you need to know about Barbenheimer, and the memes that have taken over the internet.
Contender No. 1: Oppenheimer
Oppenheimer is Nolan’s latest biographical thriller film., following the infamous journey of American scientist J. Robert Oppenheimer who famously lead The Manhattan Project – the team that developed the atomic bomb for the United States of America in World War II. The movie explores the brilliance, hubris and relentless drive of the scientist who changed the nature of war forever.
And it also led to the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people.
Oppenheimer stars Peaky Blinders alum Cillian Murphy as Oppenheimer himself, Emily Blunt (Jungle Cruise) as his biologist and botanist wife, Katherine, Robert Downey Jr. (Iron Man) as American financier and government official Lewis Strauss, Matt Damon (The Martian) as General Leslie Groves Jr, Florence Pugh (Don’t Worry Darling) as psychiatrist Jean Tatlock, Benny Safdie (Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret) as physicist Edward Teller, Michael Angarano (In A Relationship) as Robert Serber and Josh Hartnett (Wrath of Man) as American nuclear scientist Ernest Lawrence.
It also stars Oscar winner Rami Malek, Dane DeHaan, Dylan Arnold, David Krumholtz, Alden Ehrenreich and Matthew Modine.
Contender No.2: Barbie
On the other side of the ring is Greta Gerwig’s Barbie, in which blonde bombshell Margot Robbie slips on the high heels of the iconic doll, who happens to have achieved a level of self-actualisation and is forced to leave her home of Barbieland. She sets off on an adventure in the real world with fellow doll and lifetime boyfriend, Ken (Ryan Gosling), and discovers along the way that true perfection can be found within.
Joining Robbie and Gosling are Emma Mackey, Kate McKinnon, Issa Rae, Hari Nef, Alexandra Shipp, Sharon Rooney, Nicola Coughlan, Ritu Arya, Ana Cruz Kayne and pop star Dua Lip, who play variations of Barbie, while Simu Liu, Ncuti Gatwa, Kingsley Ben-Adir, Scott Evans and John Cena play variations of Ken.
Other members of the cast include Will Ferrell as the movie’s main antagonist, Michael Cera as Alan, America Ferrera as Gloria, Ariana Greenblatt as Sasha, Emerald Fennell as Midge, Connor Swindells as Aaron Dinkins, Jamie Demetriou as Mattel Executive and Helen Mirren as The Narrator.
Barbenheimer Begins
The differences between Oppenheimer and Barbie are as night and day as one is a dramatic thriller and the other, a comedy fantasy, One is tonally and visually dark while the other is every shade of pink you can ever imagine but the rivalry has gotten so serious, audiences in the United States are making votes across the country.
But did you know that the real Barbie doll has a shared connection with Robert Oppenheimer, who has been dubbed the Father of the Atomic bomb? The first Barbie dolls were made in Japan, with outfits hand-stitched by Japanese homeworkers. Meanwhile, Oppenheimer’s research led to the creation of the atomic bomb, and the first two were dropped in the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Hey, we didn’t say it was a good connection. Here are some of the best memes/modern thoughts on both films.
This isn’t Nolan’s first rodeo against Blondes
Apparently, Nolan has had two other movies that opened on the same day with another movie with a leading blonde. In 2005, Nolan’s Batman Begins was released on the same day as Mark Rosman’s The Perfect Man starring Hilary Duff and in 2008 The Dark Knight was released on the same day as the musical Mamma Mia by Phyllida Lloyd, starring Amanda Seyfried.
History repeats itself, no?
Barbenheimer Day Plan
Why pick one or the other when you can watch both? You start the day with Oppenheimer, have drinks, get lit and catch Barbie after. It’s the only rule.
Barbenheimer’s Impact
You know something is iconic when other fandoms can join in. Timothee Chalamet stans, Bollywood fans, it even stepped out of the world of film and bled into the music scene.
Even the stars are in on it!
Here’s Tom Cruise.
Queens supporting Queens.
Come on Barbenheimer, let’s save summer
End of the day, whether you’re catching both movies or either one, Barbenheimer may ultimately save the summer box office. Bringing one movie up ultimately leads to the other – like peas in a pod, or dare we say, Barbie and Ken.
Oppenheimer and Barbie both open on 21 July 2023. See you there!
Don’t judge a book by its cover, for behind all this makeup, is a geek just like you. To simply put it, superheroes, Star Wars, Harry Potter and all things gore and creepy makes this girly girl swoon.
Natalie
Trinity Sun
