Barbie vs Oppenheimer Box Office Battle: No One Loses? -

In the box office race between Oppenheimer and Barbie, it appears that Greta Gerwig’s venture will open ahead of Nolan’s three hours long epic, although, no concrete figures are revealed. Earlier everyone firmly believed that Nolan’s period drama will easily kick Barbie’s ass at the box office but ever since the production of the film began it has become an internet sensation and a huge rival for Oppenheimer. However, that is not the only reason why Barbie is ahead of Oppenheimer at the moment. Nolan is famous for putting butts in theatre seats simply out of the adoration they have for him. However, a summer blockbuster isn’t supposed to be R-rated. Barbie is rated PG-13. This instantly cuts a section of audience for Oppenheimer. Barbie with its ideal rating is available for all sections of the audience. Although, Nolan fans shouldn’t get too worried as despite the cut throat competition it appears as if no film will suffer because of the other.

The Barbie vs Oppenheimer Battle Won’t Hurt Either Film!

Box office experts David Gross and Robert Mitchell enlightened us on the trending Barbie vs Oppenheimer box office race. The experts claim that despite the films releasing on the same day and having very different tones (with Barbie being a comedy and Oppenheimer a drama), the rivalry might be a good thing for both movies. They explain how despite the contrasting tone of the films, both films being advertised to theatergoers at the same time means the novelty of experiencing both will lead to higher success..

The conversation with The New York Times went something like this:

Mitchell: “Every time ‘Barbie’ released a trailer, ‘Oppenheimer’ would start trending. They’re so vastly different that they allow for the narrative that popped up organically: This would be strangest double bill ever. [The online conversation] is pretty much a gift for distributors.”

Gross: But it shouldn’t matter. Audiences are going to find them, and both films are going to do extremely well.

The latest box office projections for Barbie and Oppenheimer put Barbie at earning $70 million or $80 million in its opening weekend. This is double the projected box office for Oppenheimer, which is expected to make around $40 million when it opens. Both films have a budget of around $100 million, though, even if Oppenheimer doesn’t outperform Barbie, they’re both likely to turn a profit by the end of their theatrical runs.

The story of Oppenheimer is adapted from Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin’s book American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer. Oppenheimer will be the first film to be shot in B/W and IMAX. The film is made on a hefty budget of $100 Million. The film basically has half of Hollywood in it including Cillian Murphy, Robert Downey Jr., Matt Damon, Emily Blunt, Florence Pugh, Rami Malek, Benny Safdie, Josh Hartnett, Dane DeHaan, Jack Quaid, Matthew Modine, Alden Ehrenreich, David Krumholtz, Kenneth Branagh, Gary Oldman, Casey Affleck, Michael Angarano and without a doubt Michael Caine.

Barbie’s script has been co-written with Greta Gerwig and her partner Noah Baumbach (Marriage Story, Frances Ha, White Noise). Margot Robbie will star in the titular role with Ryan Gosling playing Ken, Barbie’s male counterpart. The rest of the cast includes, America Ferrera, Simu Liu, Issa Rae, Ncuti Gatwa, Alexandra Shipp, Ariana Greenblatt, Sharon Rooney, Ana Cruz Kayne, Emma Mackay and Hari Nef.

Oppenheimer and Barbie are set to release in theatres near you on 21st July 2023.

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Sameer Talawdekar

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A student of cinema with a keen eye and an acquired taste. Blunt and critical while reviewing, if Sameer says a film is good, it’s basically a guarantee that it is. He may not like what you do, but that’s what makes him a quality fit for any cinema publication. He craves excellence and perfection and that’s why you can blindly trust his word!

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