Greta Gerwig’s ‘Barbie’ took the box office by storm, and as the audience showed up at the movie theaters all dolled up in pink, ‘Barbie’ quickly became this summer’s movie phenomenon.
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Based on the iconic doll, ‘Barbie’ takes us into Barbie Land, where we meet Margot Robbie’s Sterotypical Barbie as she begins to experience things out of her normal routine – cold showers, sour milk, thoughts of mortality, and the worst of all, flat feet. With Ken (Ryan Gosling) tagging along, Barbie sets off to seek out the answers by traveling to the real world. She soon realizes things in the real world are quite the opposite of everything she knows.
Directed by Greta Gerwig and co-written by Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach, the clever story and incredible visuals made ‘Barbie’ the talk of the town. The movie is certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, with an 88% critics score and 83% audience score. Due to it sharing an opening date with Christopher Nolan’s ‘Oppenheimer’, movie fans took the opportunity and turned the dual release into a double-feature event, therefore kicking off the endless waves of “Barbenheimer” memes.
The official synopsis for ‘’Barbie” is below:
“To live in Barbie Land is to be a perfect being in a perfect place. Or you have a full-on existential crisis. Unless you’re a Ken.”
(L to R) Kinsley Ben-Adir, Ryan Gosling as Ken, and Ncuti Gatwa in Warner Bros. Pictures’ ‘Barbie,’ a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures.
‘Barbie’ is officially the highest grossing film of 2023, having just crossed $1.3 billion globally. Opening to $162 million, the Margot Robbie-led film has earned $612 million domestically. Already an icon for many, ‘Barbie’ quickly became a social media sensation, with fans posting everything from their movie-going outfits to their Barbie collections. The film is filled with references to many Barbies and Ken dolls from various decades, sending audiences down nostalgia lane.
On the surface, ‘Barbie’ may seem like a fun adventure, much like ‘The Lego Movie’. However, the film has a deeper message and touches on the pressure of expectations, insecurities, and most importantly, what it means to be human.
‘Barbie’ premiere on July 9, 2023 at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. It was released domestically on July 21, 2023. Currently, it is still playing in some theaters, but as the movie has been in theaters for around 45 days, its theatrical window will soon come to an end. If you want to experience ‘Barbie’ on the big screen, be sure to do it soon.
The movie arrived on digital September 5 for purchase on platforms such as Prime Video, Google Play, Apple TV, Vudu, YouTube, and more for $29.99.
‘Barbie’ has a total runtime of 1 hour and 56 minutes.
Although ‘Barbie’ is leaving the theaters, Warner Bros Pictures has teamed up with IMAX to give fans a limited one-week run of ‘Barbie’ starting September 22nd. As a special treat for the IMAX audience, a special greeting from director Greta Gerwig will play ahead of the film. There will also be exclusive post-credit footage playing after the film, specially selected by Gerwig herself.
Greta Gerwig attends the ‘Barbie’ Press Tour, Sydney Australia 2023. Photography by Caroline McCredie for Warner Bros/NBC Universal. Contact: jade.perry@nbcuni.com.
In regards to the special IMAX release, Jeff Goldstein, President of Domestic Distribution, and Andrew Cripps, President of International Distribution, said:
“We really wanted to super-serve all the fans out there who made this the Summer of ‘Barbie’ in every way imaginable, and we couldn’t think of a better way than to serve up the biggest film of 2023 and the biggest Warner Bros. film of all time on the biggest, most experiential screens around. Thanks to our terrific partners at IMAX and our incredible director, Greta Gerwig, we went a step further and are offering audiences an added incentive with this special post-credits footage. We encourage moviegoers everywhere, whether they’ve seen ‘Barbie’ or not, to see it in IMAX for a can’t-miss moment in film history.”
No word yet when ‘Barbie’ will make its way to streaming, but when it does, it is likely to end up on Max as the film is distributed by Warner Bros/Discovery.
(Left) Executive Producer Shawn Levy seen at the red carpet premiere in support of the launch of the Netflix original series ‘Stranger Things.’ Photo: Eric Charbonneau/Netflix. (Right) Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool and Hugh Jackman as Wolverine in ‘Deadpool 3.’ Photo courtesy of Ryan Reynolds Instagram account.
While he is in Toronto to promote his latest collaboration with Netflix, historical novel adaptation ‘All the Light We Cannot See’, Shawn Levy has naturally also been answering questions about the movie he was working on, a slightly anticipated title known as ‘Deadpool 3’.
Yes, the latest entry in the successful superhero franchise boasts not only Ryan Reynolds back in the suit as the quip-happy Merc With a Mouth, but sees Hugh Jackman join him on screen properly for the first time as Wolverine.
While the character has been the subject of many, many gags in previous ‘Deadpool’ outings, this will Jackman’s Logan him showing up to banter with/battle Reynolds’ Wade Wilson.
And according to Levy, having the pair team-up is a dream come true.
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Shawn Levy on ‘Deadpool 3’
(L to R) Hugh Jackman, Shawn Levy, and Ryan Reynolds attend ‘The Adam Project’ World Premiere at Alice Tully Hall on February 28, 2022 in New York City. Photo by Monica Schipper/Getty Images for Netflix.
Talking to Collider, Levy revealed that has really enjoyed making the threequel so far:
“You have two major movie stars together in a movie playing their most iconic signature roles –– that is director heaven. So, the story, the tone, the movie itself leans into that gift of having Deadpool and Wolverine co-starring in a movie for the first time. So, we’re definitely not running away from that.”
Yet even all that fun couldn’t prevent the movie from shutting down for the latest strike. Even though it had kept shooting during the writers’ strike, adding the actors’ industrial action into the mix stopped it in its tracks.
According to Levy , the team was 35 days into making the movie, which is exactly halfway through the planned shoot.
Here’s Levy on whether he’s front-loaded the big effects that could have been worked on during the strike:
“That would have been smarter than I am. That would have been so savvy. But I guess, like others in our industry, I somehow thought this second strike would be averted. Then suddenly, it was upon us, and I had to send several hundred people home, and they’re still waiting to come back to work. So, I’m just really — I don’t use this word lightly — I’m yearning for a resolution that feels fair and equitable and gets this industry back to work.”
Still, he’s promising that the finished film (when it can be finished) will be raw and audacious. We’d expect no less from a ‘Deadpool’ movie.
Shawn Levy attends ‘The Adam Project’ World Premiere at Alice Tully Hall on February 28, 2022 in New York City. Photo by Noam Galai/Getty Images for Netflix.
Levy is a man with many irons in the fire, having built a successful career as a producer as well as directing movies and TV series.
All of his recent hits have led to him getting the chance to make a ‘Star Wars’ movie, but that is currently on hold because of the writers’ strike.
“We were just starting the process of developing my movie, and the writer strike happened. So, we are in that holding pattern that so much of our industry is in.”
The same fate has also befallen his plan to make a series based on his 2010 sci-fi drama ‘Real Steel’, about boxing robots. Like his ‘Star Wars’ movie, the series was in development but is on hold pending the end of the strikes.
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Will Shawn Levy be back for ‘Stranger Things’ next season?
(L to R) Creator and Executive Producer Matt Duffer, Matthew Modine, Creator and Executive Producer Ross Duffer and Executive Producer Shawn Levy seen at the after-premiere party in support of the launch of the Netflix original series ‘Stranger Things’ at Mack Sennett Studios on Monday, July 11, 2016, in Los Angeles, CA. Photo by Eric Charbonneau/Invision for Netflix/AP Images. Photo: Eric Charbonneau/Netflix.
By far one of the most successful projects that Levy has been attached to through the years is Netflix series ‘Stranger Things’, which has become a giant pop culture sensation.
Created by Matt and Ross Duffer, the series is set in a small town in Indiana affected by a creepy parallel dimension that births weird creatures and affects the life of the families in the town.
The story focus on a group of young people who become directly involved in fighting back against the threats.
Levy, who has worked on the show since the beginning, has directed an episode or two every year, and he’s hopeful that despite a busy schedule, that he’ll back to help wrap the show by directing one from the fifth and final season.
Here’s what Levy had to say:
“I’ve been alongside Matt and Ross Duffer for all these years. I direct episodes every year. It’s a part of our brotherhood. It’s a part of my commitment and my love of the show, connecting with it as a director, as well as an executive producer, so I will go through hoops to figure out calendars to direct at least one episode.”
Of course, there is still the small matter of the strikes, which has shut down development of the final season while writing was initially underway.
And what of a project that is much more in the “vaporware” category, since it hadn’t even hit the writing stage yet.
What’s the status of the ‘Free Guy’ sequel?
Ryan Reynolds stars in ‘Free Guy.’
A big success for the director was 2021’s ‘Free Guy’ (which also starred Reynolds).
The story of a video game character who learns the truth about his existence earned $331.5 million at a time when audiences were worried about returning to theaters.
Naturally, Disney (which took over the movie when it bought 20th Century Fox), is eager for a sequel, and one has been in development for a while.
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Yet according to Levy, it has hit an unusual roadblock thanks to this year’s most successful movie –– ‘Barbie’:
“I think it is definitely not assured. We love ‘Free Guy’ and the love for ‘Free Guy’ that has kind of resonated in aftershocks, if you will, in the last couple of years. That’s been thrilling to Ryan and I. We are developing a sequel, but the truth is that you now have ‘Barbie’ that has obviously left a mark about a character in a fictional world who comes to self-awareness. So, we’re only gonna make ‘Free Guy 2’ if it’s different than the first movie and if it’s different from other movies.”
For now, Levy will mostly focus on promoting his current work and potentially overseeing what post-production work that can be completed on ‘Deadpool 3’ and figuring out the 500 other projects he might want to kick off once there are writers available to script them and actors to say the words.
Hugh Jackman will return as Wolverine in Marvel Studios’ ‘Deadpool 3.’
‘Barbie’ might have been knocked down to second place again at the domestic box office this weekend by ‘Gran Turismo’, which managed to take the top spot (yet only for the three-day weekend and only by $200,000, with final figures possibly changing that), but Greta Gerwig’s movie is now on track to surpass yet another record.
As of Monday, the movie had made $1.34 billion, which means it is $1 million from overtaking ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2’, the previous global champ. Of course, all of this has to be qualified with the usual “adjusted for inflation” argument, since ‘Deathly Hallows’ came out in 2011, when tickets prices were cheaper.
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Barbie: the story so far
Greta Gerwig attends the ‘Barbie’ Press Tour, Sydney Australia 2023. Photography by Caroline McCredie for Warner Bros/NBC Universal. Contact: jade.perry@nbcuni.com.
Directed by Gerwig, the film –– for anyone who has yet to see it –– brings the world of the iconic toy to life as Margot Robbie plays a Barbie living in “Barbie Land”, a place where variants of the character live happily: until she starts to realize she’s just not feeling the same way. Cue a trip to the real world…
‘Barbie’s success is all the more impressive because it has clearly connected beyond the initial rush of memes and jokes around the first couple of trailers. The movie has captured the public imagination, and alongside Christopher Nolan’s ‘Oppenheimer’, has become one of the movie events of the year.
It just keeps on breaking records, including non-holiday weekend earnings and low drops in subsequent weeks.
The film, which also stars Ryan Gosling, America Ferrera, Ariana Greenblatt, Simu Liu and Will Ferrell, had a budget of roughly $100 million, and while it had an extensive promotional campaign, word of mouth and a clutch of positive reviews have carried it to big money.
Could it hit $2 billion? Anything is possible at this point, though with the state of the theatrical business post-Covid, it’s more unlikely than before the pandemic. Still, it continues to bring in audiences.
While backers/rights holders Mattel have naturally hinted at a whole world of follow-ups and spin-offs, there are no current and official announced plans.
Still Greta Gerwig, despite saying she had no ideas for a sequel, did say this to ‘People’ before the movie hit the billion mark:
“There’s a tone and a humor and a joy, and obviously the world is so beautiful. I want to go back to Barbie Land.”
Elsewhere at the Box Office
(L to R) Sang Heon Lee, Darren Barnet, Archie Madekwe, Emelia Hartford and Pepe Barroso Silva are GT Academy drivers in Columbia Pictures ‘Gran Turismo.’ Photo: Gordon Timpen.
The other buzzy film of the summer, Christopher Nolan’s ‘Oppenheimer’, is barreling towards the $800 million mark at the worldwide box office after earning $29.1 million from 7,555 screens in 82 territories. Nolan’s film, a biopic of J. Robert Oppenheimer and the creation of the atomic bomb has enjoyed a massive $777 million worldwide gross — an astonishing figure for a somber, R-rated drama. And the money may well keep rolling, in since its debut in China is coming soon.
‘Gran Turismo’ added $11 million to bring its global haul to just over $53 million. The racing film will still need to put the pedal to the metal if it hopes to turn a profit.
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Elsewhere in Warner Bros. stable, ‘Meg 2: The Trench’ added $15.2 million from 16,224 screens in 77 offshore markets. That brings its global gross to $352.5 million.
And unlike other Hollywood releases, which have struggled in China lately, the giant shark movie has gotten a big boost from that market, earning $112.9 million
Then there is ‘Blue Beetle.’ The superhero origin story earned an estimated $10 million for the weekend in 71 international markets and on 10,421 screens. Globally, the picture has earned $81.8 million, a disappointing result for a movie that cost more than $100 million to produce.
Whether you’re in the mood to check out a brand-new release (this week’s ‘Gran Turismo’, say), finally learn what everyone has been talking about with ‘Barbenheimer’ or enjoy a classic on re-release, get ready to celebrate.
National Cinema Day is back, and this year’s event will happen on August 27th.
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What is National Cinema Day?
National Cinema Day 2023 is August 27th.
Following the success of last year’s inaugural version, the Cinema Foundation is calling on film fans across the country to gather for a national day to celebrate the magic of the movies on the big screen.
The second annual National Cinema Day celebrates the power of movies to bring us all together, and discounted admissions for all movies at participating U.S. theaters in all formats (including Premium Large Format screens such as IMAX) will be no more than $4.
More than 3,000 locations — with approximately 30,000 available screens — are expected to take part in the one-day event.
The event comes as the summer box office is 16.6% ahead of 2022 but 5.4% below 2019, according to Comscore. Approximately 8.1million moviegoers turned out for last year’s inaugural National Cinema Day and resulted in the highest-attended day of 2022, according to the National Association of Theater Owners.
Here’s what Jackie Brenneman, president of the Cinema Foundation had to say:
“Following the rousing success of the first annual National Cinema Day, we welcome everyone to join us for the communal experience of one of America’s favorite pastimes — moviegoing. We look forward to gathering at the movies and celebrating an exciting slate of new releases and classics, from beloved family favorites and outrageous comedies to thought-provoking dramas and thrilling adventures. There’s something for everyone.”
And here’s enthusiasm from Michael O’Leary, president and CEO of the National Association of Theatre Owners:
“Movies have the power to bring us together to share in the joy, the thrill and the magic of a great story told on the big screen. National Cinema Day is a celebration of movie fandom and of the uniting role that movie theaters play in our communities.”
Helen Mirren in Bleecker Street/ShivHans Pictures’ ‘Golda.’ Credit: Sean Gleason, Courtesy of Bleecker Street/ShivHans Pictures.
The offer includes all movies on release on Sunday, including new titles such as ‘Golda’ (a biopic starring Helen Mirren), a new sports drama called ‘The Hill’ (starring Dennis Quaid), the current blockbuster champions including ‘Barbie’ and ‘Oppenheimer,’ plus special events such as Disney’s sing-along version of the new ‘The Little Mermaid’ and a fresh re-release of ‘Jurassic Park’.
Where can I find more information?
You can get all the details, including how to get tickets, at the National Cinema Day site or via your favorite movie theater’s site.
Greta Gerwig attends the ‘Barbie’ Press Tour, Sydney Australia 2023. Photography by Caroline McCredie for Warner Bros/NBC Universal. Contact: jade.perry@nbcuni.com.
‘Barbie’ continues to impress this weekend, staying at the top of the domestic box office for the fourth week in a row, while Christopher Nolan’s ‘Oppenheimer’ continued to bring in the cash at roughly half the speed of Greta Gerwig’s film.
Elsewhere, the new releases didn’t make much of an impact, with one in particular failing to capture the audience’s imagination.
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Another successful weekend for ‘Barbie’
(Center) Margot Robbie as Barbie in Warner Bros. Pictures’ ‘Barbie,’ a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures.
‘Barbie ‘ took in $33.7 million this weekend, making for more than $526 million domestically. Outside the United States, the movie nudged past $657 million for a grand total of $1.18 billion global haul.
And the movie continues to earn accolades, including becoming the second-highest earning movie in Warner Bros. history (it has its sights on ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II’, which remains on the top spot with $1.315 billion).
For Gerwig, it was also a good weekend –– thanks to ‘Barbie’s success, she’s now the highest-grossing female filmmaker in the world. Her new film passed the earnings of ‘Frozen II’, which was co-directed by Jennifer Lee.
Cillian Murphy is J. Robert Oppenheimer in ‘Oppenheimer,’ written, produced, and directed by Christopher Nolan.
While Christopher Nolan’s latest isn’t quite on the same level, it is showing remarkable holding power for a three-hour, talky biopic movie about a tricky subject. ‘Oppenheimer’ is now sitting at $649 worldwide and is the highest-grossing World War II movie, ahead of ‘Saving Private Ryan’ and Nolan’s own ‘Dunkirk’.
‘Oppenheimer’ saw off the new releases –– mostly because there was only one wide-ish new arrival, and it definitely make much of an impact on the charts.
Third place went to animated holdover ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem’ which has so far earned more than $72 million domestically. And giant shark movie ‘Meg 2: The Trench’ took in $12.7 million for fourth place, with a $54. 1 million total (both of those movies are also seeing a boost from takings elsewhere in the world).
Universal’s latest attempt to open up its horror vault fared about as well as the sailors on the titular boat as ‘The Last Voyage of the Demeter’ docked at fifth place with an anemic $6.5 million.
The long-developing terror title adapted from a chapter of ‘Dracula’ –– which sees the bloodsucker cause havoc on the ship as he travels from Transylvania to England –– opened to even lower figures than the studio’s latest attempt to mine the vampire’s story for a movie.
This year’s ‘Renfield’, which landed in April, is considered far from a success, and that opened to $8 million. ‘Demeter’ will have to hope that global audiences help to boost it –– though some markets, such as the UK, don’t even have a date for the movie yet.
Finally, Bleecker Street Media’s ‘Jules’, which sees Ben Kingsley as a mild-mannered small-town resident whose life is upended when an alien crash lands in his backyard. The movie, which debuted on 780 screens, earned $1 million.
Greta Gerwig attends the ‘Barbie’ Press Tour, Sydney Australia 2023. Photography by Caroline McCredie for Warner Bros/NBC Universal. Contact: jade.perry@nbcuni.com.
‘Barbie’ is proving to be much more than just a pop culture hit. The movie, which successfully opened with $162 million domestically, has broken another barrier. It is now the second film of 2023 to make a billion dollars at the worldwide box office.
And while ‘The Super Mario Bros. Movie’ achieved the feat back in April, ‘Barbie’ has beaten it to the mark by a week –– hitting more than a billion globally in just those three scant weeks on release.
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Success for Greta Gerwig
Greta Gerwig attends the ‘Barbie’ Press Tour, Sydney Australia 2023. Photography by Caroline McCredie for Warner Bros/NBC Universal. Contact: jade.perry@nbcuni.com.
The runaway hit is also big for its director –– Greta Gerwig, who co-wrote (with Noah Baumbach) and directed the movie, becomes the first solo female filmmaker to have a billion-dollar movie.
In 2019, ‘Captain Marvel’ made more than $1.1 billion, but that was co-directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck. And Jennifer Lee has enjoyed two billion-dollar earners with the ‘Frozen’ films, though both were co-directed with Chris Buck.
‘Barbie’s success is all the more impressive because it has clearly connected beyond the initial rush of memes and jokes around the first couple of trailers. The movie has captured the public imagination, and alongside Christopher Nolan’s ‘Oppenheimer’, has become one of the movie events of the year.
It just keeps on breaking records, including non-holiday weekend earnings and low drops in subsequent weeks.
The film, which also stars Ryan Gosling, America Ferrera, Ariana Greenblatt, Simu Liu and Will Ferrell, had a budget of roughly $100 million, and while it had an extensive promotional campaign, word of mouth and a clutch of positive reviews have carried it to big money.
Could it hit $2 billion? Anything is possible at this point, though with the state of the theatrical business post-Covid, it’s more unlikely than before the pandemic. Still, it continues to bring in audiences.
Domestically, ‘Barbie’ has so far made $459 million, and $572 million internationally.
Star Margot Robbie jokingly told executives that she felt confident it could be a billion-dollar movie while meeting executives before it got a greenlight at Warners, as she revealed during the pre-release press rounds in an interview with Collider:
Cillian Murphy is J. Robert Oppenheimer in ‘Oppenheimer,’ written, produced, and directed by Christopher Nolan.
‘Oppenheimer’, which has also been enjoying plenty of success of its own, is also managing to hold well at the box office. While giant shark movie ‘Meg 2: The Trench’ made it to second place in this weekend’s charts (with $30 million), Christopher Nolan’s latest was third with $28.7 million, enough to see off ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem’, which took in $28 million.
That might seem like a problem for the Turtles, but the Paramount Pictures animated movie was produced for $70 million, which means it has less to earn before it becomes profitable.
As for ‘Oppenheimer’, it has earned $228.6 million domestically and $552.9 million worldwide. It is the highest-grossing R-rated movie of 2023 and marks the fastest a Universal movie with that classification has hit more than $200 million at home.
For Nolan, it now ranks as his fifth most successful movie of all time, passing ‘Dunkirk’ and is a big vindication for Universal, which saw a chance to secure his services after his dissatisfaction with how previous moviemaking home Warner Bros. handled ‘Tenet’ and treated other filmmakers during the pandemic, especially with its day-and-date theatrical/streaming policy.
‘Barbie’ Director/Writer Greta Gerwig attends a Fan Event in Seoul, Korea. Photo Credit: Chang Ho.
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We’re used to celebrity name combos –– your “Bennifer” etc. But movies of such different styles being treated as a duo? That really doesn’t happen very often. And yet here we are with “Barbenheimer”.
The pop cultural sensation of moviegoers choosing a double bill of ‘Barbie’ and the ‘Oppenheimer’ (trust us when we say, it’s best to start with Christopher Nolan’s weighty, thoughtful exploration of the father of the Atomic Bomb before moving on to Greta Gerwig’s fun, colorful comedy, which despite appearances has some satire and real intelligence of its own) has also been igniting the box office to successful effect.
Both of the movies opened big, and both have held on to huge swathes of their audiences as film fans kept turning out to experience them.
Greta Gerwig’s subtle satire of gender relations and product placement is the biggest film of the moment and could well end up as the most successful of the year, on track to become one of –– if not the only –– billion-dollar movie in 2023.
‘Barbie’ opened with $150 million, and continued to play well through the following week, crowds turning out consistently. It doesn’t hurt that many kids are on summer vacation and the movie has family appeal.
Second weekends can increasingly be tough for movies that open wide and successfully, but Gerwig’s movie rose to the latest challenge, adding an impressive $93 million in its sophomore three-day segment, a 43% drop from its debut and representing the seventh biggest second weekend in history. It’s up there with the giant likes of the more successful modern ‘Star Wars’ films and some of Marvel’s ‘Avengers’ titles.
As it stands right now, ‘Barbie’ has more than $750 million in the bank globally and is the third biggest movie of the year so far.
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’Oppenheimer’s No Bomb
Cillian Murphy is J. Robert Oppenheimer in ‘Oppenheimer,’ written, produced, and directed by Christopher Nolan.
Nolan’s film, meanwhile, is also doing spectacularly for the director and for studio Universal, which took the chance to snag his services after he was displeased with the treatment of fellow filmmakers by former Hollywood home Warner Bros. during the pandemic.
‘Oppenheimer’ opened to $80.5 million, a feat for a three-hour movie with a darker, mature subject matter and complex tone. And, like ‘Barbie’, it has continued to perform, becoming the first R-rated film to gross more than $10 million for seven days in a row on Friday.
Its own second weekend was similarly impressive, the Cillian Murphy-starring movie dropping just 44% for $46.6 million this past weekend. All in all, the movie has earned more than $400 million at the worldwide box office.
“Weekend two proves the outpouring of interest in ‘Barbie’ and ‘Oppenheimer’ a week ago was not a fluke. Both films put up second weekend numbers that would have been considered solid as debuts and reflect two of the best sophomore session holds in box office history.”
Such was the impact of that one-two punch that new releases had trouble making it into the charts. Disney’s ‘Haunted Mansion’ (the latest adaptation of the classic theme park ride) could only muster $24.6 million in third, which isn’t that great for a movie costing $150 million to make and millions more to promote. Yet while horror movie ‘Talk To Me’ opened sixth, its far smaller $4.5 million budget means a $10 million opening is counted as more of a success.
Cillian Murphy is J. Robert Oppenheimer in ‘Oppenheimer,’ written, produced, and directed by Christopher Nolan.
The haggard face of J. Robert Oppenheimer, taking a long draw on a cigarette, has already locked down a resounding victory in the great meme sweepstakes of Summer 2023, serving as downbeat, black-and-white counterpoint to the beaming radiance and saturated pink hues of ‘Barbie.’ But could ‘Oppenheimer‘ star Cillian Murphy actually pop up as Ken in a ‘Barbie’ sequel? Sure, according to the Irish actor himself.
With opening weekend in the rearview mirror, the double feature of “Barbenheimer” — half grassroots campaign, half savvy contrivance — has proven to be a huge success, the rising tide of interwoven promotional campaigns for two very different films clearly lifting the commercial fortunes of each. Universal’s ‘Oppenheimer,’ from filmmaker Christopher Nolan, grossed $82 million domestically and around $174 million across the globe. Meanwhile, ‘Barbie,’ distributed by Warner Bros., raked in an astounding $162 million within the United States and $337 million worldwide.
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Nolan’s film, needless to say, doesn’t particularly lend itself to the notion of sequels. But as part of a lucrative deal with toy manufacturer Mattel, Warner Bros. surely has visions of a healthy, long-lasting ‘Barbie’ franchise.
There would be many different ways to spin things for a sequel, starting with whether director Greta Gerwig (and cowriter and real-life partner Noah Baumbach) wanted to stay involved. But one possibility that has gotten a good bit of traction — with a certain amount of encouragement and trial-balloon-floating from Warner Bros., one feels — is the idea of a spinoff focusing on Ken. Or, more accurately, Kens, plural.
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Where Would “Science Ken” Fit in a Shared Barbie Universe?
(L to R) Kinsley Ben-Adir, Ryan Gosling as Ken, and Ncuti Gatwa in Warner Bros. Pictures’ ‘Barbie,’ a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures.
In Gerwig’s film, Ryan Gosling stars as “Beach Ken” opposite Margot Robbie, who portrays the “stereotypical version” of the title character. Different variants of Ken are also portrayed by Simu Liu, Kingsley Ben-Adir, Scott Evans, Ncuti Gatwa and, yes, even John Cena. In praising not only Gosling’s performance but especially a choreographed dance number featuring the Kens, critics have noted some seemingly unique avenues of narrative opportunity.
During a recent conversation with Omelete, Murphy was asked if he would be open to starring as a Ken in a potential ‘Barbie’ sequel. “Would I play a Ken in Barbie 2? Sure, yeah — let’s read the script, let’s have a conversation,” said Murphy with a smile.
Murphy’s answer may, on the face of it, seem surprising to fans of the actor, best known for a variety of intense and smoldering characters, from ‘28 Days Later‘ and ‘Red Eye‘ to ‘The Wind That Shakes the Barley‘ and ‘Peaky Blinders’ — as well as his five previous collaborations with Nolan, including Dr. Jonathan Crane/Scarecrow in the director’s ‘Dark Knight‘ trilogy.
Cillian Murphy is J. Robert Oppenheimer in ‘Oppenheimer,’ written, produced, and directed by Christopher Nolan.
Still, those gleefully rubbing their palms together in anticipation of seeing Murphy get to flex his under-showcased comedic chops (and maybe even decked out in rollerblades and garish, neon-print fashion) shouldn’t commence with fan art just yet. Step one on the path toward his potential participation is finding the time to actually catch ‘Barbie.’
“I can’t wait to see it — I can’t wait to see the movie,” said Murphy, acknowledging that he’s been a bit busy with his own promotional duties on behalf of ‘Oppenheimer.’ “I think it’s great for cinema to get all these great movies happening this summer.”
Who knows — with a little luck, Murphy may, a couple summers hence, finally find himself on the smiling side of a meme.
(Center) Simu Liu in Warner Bros. Pictures’ ‘Barbie,’ a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures.
The “Barbenheimer” sensation set a box office record this past weekend as fans spill into the theaters for both movies. With endless memes on the internet and fans planning their double-feature viewing strategy for ‘Barbie’ and ‘Oppenheimer’, the phenomenon has set the weekend box office on fire. Showing up in a sea of pink for Greta Gerwig’s latest film, ‘Barbie’ opened to $155 million. Not to be outdone, Christopher Nolan’s visually stunning ‘Oppenheimer’ follows with $80.5 million on opening day.
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The massive box office number is due to audiences refusing to choose one or the other, making their double feature an event of the summer. As the “Barbenheimer’ trend continues to grow on social media, many small businesses leaned into the theme, creating shirts and accessories to celebrate the release. Fans show off their outfit changes as they go from one movie to the next. Star of ‘Barbie’ Margot Robbie and director Greta Gerwig have also shown their support by posing for a photo in front of a poster of ‘Oppenheimer’ with tickets in hand.
‘Barbie’ also sets a record high for a movie by a female director, surpassing ‘Captain Marvel’ ($153.4 million) and ‘Wonder Woman’ ($103.3 million). Currently, both films are certified on aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes, with ‘Barbie’ at 91% and ‘Oppenheimer’ at 94%. Worldwide, the movies have earned a combined $551.1 million, with ‘Barbie’ earning $337 million and ‘Oppenheimer’ earning $174.1 million.
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A New Record For AMC Entertainment
Writer, director, and producer Christopher Nolan on the set of ‘Oppenheimer.’
Movie theaters struggled with attendance due to the COVID-19 pandemic and have been slow to recover. The opening of both films sent masses to the theaters, setting the highest records since post-pandemic. According to AMC, Saturday was their busiest day since July of 2019. They recorded their fifth-highest single-day US ticket revenues in their 103-year history. AMC also recorded 87,000 members of their Stubs loyalty program members booked tickets for both movies over the weekend.
AMC CEO Adam Aron sends a personal congratulations to both films:
“AMC sends an enormous thank you and congratulations to Greta Gerwig, Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, and the entire team at Warner Bros., and to Christopher Nolan and the team at Universal Pictures. They’ve demonstrated that well-made, well-marketed films that captivate audiences can open on the same weekend and both enjoy great success.”
One of the main driving forces leading the audience into the theater is ‘Oppenheimer’ being shot with IMAX cameras and offered in formats such as IMAX 70MM. While it’s not the first movie to be shot with IMAX cameras, Nolan’s visionary storytelling and use of practical effects create a theatrical experience that cannot be duplicated at home.
It is likely for the “Barbeheimer” trend to continue well into the summer as fans continue to show up for their chance to see the movies.
Greta Gerwig attends the ‘Barbie’ Press Tour, Sydney Australia 2023. Photography by Caroline McCredie for Warner Bros/NBC Universal. Contact: jade.perry@nbcuni.com.
After being expelled from the utopian Barbie Land for being less-than-perfect dolls, Barbie (Margot Robbie) and Ken (Ryan Gosling) go on a journey of self-discovery to the real world.
‘Barbie’ is a surprisingly subversive, entertaining, and hilarious movie that was beautifully shot by director Greta Gerwig. The filmmaker sets a strong tone and Barbie Land is a fully formed universe, however the movie loses a little magic when the characters briefly travel to the “Real World.” Margot Robbie delivers a funny and very emotional performance as Barbie, but it is Ryan Gosling that steals the movie as Ken, delivering a hilarious and also musical over-the-top performance.
Story and Direction
Director/Writer Greta Gerwig attends the ‘Barbie’ Press Junket Photo Call at the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills, CA. Photo by Eric Charbonneau.
The story is fairly simple and begins by introducing us to the colorful and delightful Barbie Land and all of the Barbies and Kens that live within it. We soon meet “Stereotypical Barbie,” (that’s actually what she is referred to in the movie), played by Margot Robbie. Barbie lives a perfect life among the other Barbies, which include President Barbie (Issa Rae), Physicist Barbie (Emma Mackey), Journalist Barbie (Ritu Arya), and even Mermaid Barbie (Dua Lipa), until one day she realizes her life is not as perfect as she thinks. This begins an existential crisis for the character that leads her to Weird Barbie (Kate McKinnon), who explains that she must travel to the “Real World,” to find the human who is “playing with her.”
As Barbie journeys to the real world, she discovers that Ken (Ryan Gosling) has tagged along as his world revolves around Barbie and he would not know what to do without her. But once they arrive, Ken discovers the antiquated idea that men are superior to women. No longer wanting to live in Barbie’s shadow, Ken quickly returns to Barbie Land, suppresses the other Barbies and leads the other Kens to a misogynistic revolution.
Meanwhile, Barbie discovers her owner, a teenager named Sasha (Ariana Greenblatt) who has lost interest in dolls and no longer believes in Barbie’s ideals. Her mother, Gloria (America Ferrera), just happens to work for the CEO of Mattel (Will Ferrell), who is fully aware that something is wrong in Barbie Land as it is causing sales of the toys to go down. Now, it is up to Barbie, Gloria and Sasha to return to Barbie Land, liberate the other Barbies, and put an end to Ken’s evil reign.
The screenplay by Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach is quite clever and sets the right tone for a fun summer movie that also tackles a lot of important subjects like female empowerment and toxic masculinity with grace and humor. The film is also not afraid of making fun of itself and the absurdity of a ‘Barbie’ movie, while also taking on the criticisms that Mattel and the doll line have faced over the years and making the case of why Barbie is a good role model for girls. Kudos to Mattel for having the smarts to hire Gerwig and Baumbach (two excellent filmmakers) in the first place and then having the guts to let them make the movie they wanted to make.
Gerwig began her career as an actress in films like ‘Greenberg,’ ‘The House of the Devil’ and ‘Arthur’ but wrote 2012’s ‘Frances Ha,’ which she also starred in. She made her directorial with ‘Lady Bird,’ which earned her an Oscar nomination for Best Director, and followed it with ‘Little Women,’ which earned her an Oscar nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay. ‘Barbie’ is a big leap for her from Academy Award nominated movies to summer blockbusters, but the director does it with ease, crafting a completely enjoyable popcorn film, that also makes you think. Gerwig’s independent film background also serves her well as she fills the movies with odd inspirations, from a reference to ‘The Red Shoes’ to the choice of using a particular Indigo Girls song ad nauseum.
It has long been rumored that comedian Amy Schumer was originally tapped to play the title role in ‘Barbie,’ and while I understand what they would have been going for with a “Not Perfect Barbie,” I actually think that message gets across better by casting Margot Robbie in the lead role. Aesthetically she looks perfect, which is why she is called “Stereotypical Barbie,” but Robbie is also an incredible actress, which allows her to chip away at the character’s perfectness and show you who she really is, which is strong and vulnerable at the same time, her greatest strength. Robbie’s performance gets to the heart of the character, and the theme of the movie, which is that every women can be whatever she wants and is in charge of her own destiny. ‘Barbie’ gives Robbie her first chance at leading a blockbuster movie without playing Harley Quinn, and the actress proves that she has a lot of range and is now a big time movie star in her own right too.
While Robbie’s Barbie is definitely the focal point of the film and carries the movie well, she also allows her co-star Ryan Gosling to steal every scene he’s in. Best known for his cool-as-ice public persona and appearing in action dramas like ‘Drive’ or ‘The Gray Man,’ Gosling really gets to use his comedic chops in this film and takes advantage of every opportunity he has to poke fun at the character, while never becoming a cliché. Though his actions are misguided, Gosling reveals his characters’ vulnerability and low self-esteem, which allows the audience to sympathize with the character. Make no mistakes, Ken is the villain of the movie, which is delightful in itself, but Gosling is still likable as the character despite his despicable actions.
It should also be noted that ‘Barbie’ is partially a musical, and with his dancing background in films like ‘La La Land,’ and of course his history with the ‘Mickey Mouse Club,’ the actor knocks it out of the park in his dance scenes and especially his MTV video like sequence where he sings the opus “Just Ken.” Once Ken “goes bad,” Gosling’s transformation from an innocent lovesick puppy dog to a misogynistic 90’s boyband reject was absolutely brilliant and brings some of the movie’s best laughs. Gosling and Robbie are great together on screen, and clearly understood the tone Gerwig was going for.
There are so many well-known actors and actress playing different versions of Barbie and Ken that I can’t mention them all, but Issa Rae certainly stood out as President Barbie, as did Kate McKinnon playing Weird Barbie, the doll your older brother got a hold of and put through a woodchipper. Emma Mackey, who is often confused with Robbie in real life, was cleverly cast as Physicist Barbie, and musician Dula Lipa also stands out in a cameo as Mermaid Barbie opposite John Cena’s Mermaid Ken. Two MCU alumni, ‘Secret Invasion’s Kingsley Ben-Adir and ‘Shang-Chi’s Simu Liu also play Kens, but neither are given anything significant to do. While many may not remember, the Mattel line of dolls did introduce two other less popular characters, Allan and Midge, who are played well comedically by Michael Cera and Emerald Fennell, respectively.
Outside of the Barbie Land characters, America Ferrera and Ariana Greenblatt are both great as Gloria and Sasha, respectively, and their mother/daughter relationship really helps to bring home the message of the movie. Helen Mirren plays the narrator and I can’t think of an actress with more gravitas to voice the role. The script also allows her to add her own funny commentary, including mentioning that Barbie’s eloquent monologue about the pressures of being beautiful would have more weight if not delivered by an actress as aesthetically pleasing as Robbie.
However, there were a few “real world” characters that didn’t quite work. Look, it’s always nice to see legendary ‘Cheers’ actress Rhea Pearlman on screen, but she plays the ghost of Barbie creator Ruth Handler, who unexplainably lives on the 7th floor of Mattel’s corporate headquarters. While the actress gives a nice monologue that ties the themes of the movie together at the conclusion, it didn’t seem entirely necessary. The film already asks us to except the idea that Barbie Land and the dolls are real, so trying to also except that ghosts and the afterlife exist seemed a step too far for me.
I also have to question the casting of Will Ferrell as the CEO of Mattel, as it is basically the same character he played in ‘The Lego Movie,’ which uses a similar storytelling device with the idea that the toys are real and what they do in their world affects ours. Maybe Gerwig was going for a meta-joke with his casting, or perhaps she just wanted to work with Ferrell, who is perfectly fine in the role, but I couldn’t help thinking of the comparisons to ‘The Lego Movie’ and Ferrell’s inclusion took me out of the movie in some moments.
Which leads to my next point, the “real world” scenes are definitely the low point of the film. Once Barbie and Ken journey to the real world, which is about 30 minutes into the movie, I was worried that the rest of the film would take place there and it would become a “fish out of water” story with Barbie not understanding human concepts like money, or being sexually objectified by men. Unfortunately, those stale jokes are used, but luckily the characters do not stay in the real world for long and the third act takes place back in Barbie Land. I do understand why the characters needed to go to the “real world,” plot wise Ken needed to discover misogyny in order to bring it back to Barbie Land, and while some scenes work, like Ken’s altercation with a female doctor, it’s not the high point of the film and you are grateful when they do return to Barbie Land.
Barbie Land
Margot Robbie as Barbie in Warner Bros. Pictures’ ‘Barbie,’ a Warner Bros. Pictures release.
The major set piece of the movie is Barbie Land and it comes to life beautifully with eye-popping color and a magical tone. Set designer Sarah Greenwood and decorator Katie Spencer did marvelous work creating a realistic yet magical world and I wouldn’t be surprised if they are rewarded for their work come awards season. Their design for Ken’s Barbie Land is also unique and fabulous, with stallions and heavy metal featured throughout. Costume designer Jacqueline Durran will also likely be on a shortlist come Oscar time with stunning costumes that represent many of Barbie’s iconic looks. But again, the fun is when Ken transforms and his costumes look like a cross between Sylvester Stallone in the 80s and ‘N Sync.
Is ‘Barbie’ a Kid’s Movie?
Margot Robbie as Barbie in Warner Bros. Pictures’ ‘Barbie,’ a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures.
No, is the short answer. With a PG-13 rating, some material may be inappropriate for pre-teenagers, and while they might enjoy the humor, musical numbers, and colorful characters and sets, some of the film’s political and pop culture messages will get lost on a young audience, but its message of love and equality will shine through, even if it is subliminally.
Final Thoughts
Director Greta Gerwig has done the impossible … delivered a ‘Barbie’ movie that is an entertaining summer blockbuster, while also being socially important and containing thoughtful, emotional and funny performances. Margot Robbie earns her movie star status producing and starring in this well-made summer tentpole, while Ryan Gosling proves he’s just as funny as he is cool with his hilarious over-the-top performance.
