Barbenheimer's Success May Be The Last For A While

By: Emily Ao

After the big launch of Barbie and Oppenheimer on July 21, the film industry may be the happiest it has ever been. Although Barbie and Oppenheimer are vastly different in terms of genre and screenplay, the two managed to attract fans to watch both movies back-to-back. The success of these two films is undeniable, and they have even been called “two of the year’s most anticipated titles,” by the New York Times.

Barbie, a comedy directed by Greta Gerwig, based on the Mattel doll, is predicted by analysts to earn a hot debut of $150 million at the box office, while Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer is estimated to reach around $50 million. Movie theaters, which have been lacking in business recently, were instantly flooded with excited viewers. Barbie may even top the opening gross of The Super Mario Bros. Movie, which was released in April of this year, marking a big milestone. This is huge news for the film world.

But nothing is ever perfect. With every success comes something terrible.

The two films were released during a dual strike led by Hollywood screenwriters and actors. Actors demanded various things, including residuals and better pay. They have also been told not to promote any films at this time, which makes it almost impossible for studios to release other upcoming films. The hype of ‘Barbenheimer’ is bringing the love of moviegoing back up, but with all the strikes and protests happening, the film industry fears that they might be going back to square one. It would be.

With the possible sudden stop of movie releases, theaters would be tested again, just like they were during the worst of the coronavirus pandemic. Most upcoming films could be pushed back in order to make space for this year’s soon-to-be released films. What happens then? Film fans wouldn’t be happy, but at this current moment, there seems like no other choice.

Source(s):

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/21/movies/barbenheimer-strike.html