When the release dates for Barbieand Oppenheimerwere released, the moviegoing world went into a frenzy. They were to be released on the same day. The day that blockbusters clash has become a phenomenon known as Barbenheimer. While there is a stark contrast in tones, color palettes, budgets, marketing, and target audience, the outpour of memes, fan art, and apparel of the two movies merged has become the fuel to many cinema lovers' day-to-day life.
The chaos of what movie you should choose became a topic that died quickly because many fans realized they could do something that they haven’t done in a long time: a double feature.
I am one of those people who bought tickets opening day tickets for Barbie and Oppenheimer as soon as my AMC app notified me that they were on sale. But I’m not the only person who is partaking in this summer's most explosive, emotionally challenging double feature.
With two weeks until the big day, AMC theaters have reported that more than 20,000 AMC Stubs members have purchased tickets to see Barbie and Oppenheimer on the same day.
“That more than 20,000 moviegoers have already made plans and purchased tickets to see Barbie and Oppenheimer on the same day is a great sign that the growing online conversation around seeing both of these incredible films is turning into ticket sales,” says Elizabeth Frank, executive VP of worldwide programming and chief content officer at AMC Theatres. “Just as exciting, with 10 days to go until these movies open, this may only be the beginning. From Friday to today, we saw a 33 percent increase in the number of guests who decided to create their own double feature by purchasing tickets to see both movies on the same day. We are thrilled to see this momentum.”
Variety reports that it is hard to contextualize the statistics that AMC theaters reported in their press release because there aren’t a lot of comparable data points for guests purchasing tickets to see multiple movies on the same day. On top of that, it is hard to know the exact number of AMC Stubs members, which includes A-List, AMC Stubs Premiere, and AMC Stubs Insider.
Credit: Twitter
'Oppenhiemer'Credit: Universal Pictures
Barbie, however, is camp and escapism that speaks to a large audience as well. While Barbie might not carry the same tones as Oppenheimer, there is still an emotional draw to something so profound in everyone’s lives. Also, audiences tend to be drawn to meta-stories, which the Barbie trailers have been teasing.
According to early tracking from Variety, Barbie is expected to outperform Oppenheimer in terms of ticket sales. However, an unexpected rival might enter the race:Mision: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One.
While the Tom Cruise-led movie will be bumped off IMAX screens on July 21st for Oppenheimer, the film will continue to play in theaters during the Barbenheimer event.
The battle of the bomb and the bombshell is more or less about if you can get your hands on tickets. I recommend that you get your tickets as early as you can if you still don’t have tickets.
Are you watching Barbie and Oppenheimer on the same day? What movie are you watching first?
Let us know in the comments below!
Source: Variety
Richard Gere and Uma Thurman in 'Oh, Canada' via Kino Lorber 
Uma Thurman in 'Oh, Canada'via Kino Lorber 
