pick of the twitter

It’s “Barbenheimer” time, and the internet is simultaneously tickled pink and blowing up

By
Barbenheimer graphic

Perhaps Warner Bros. thought Barbie would provide multiplex counter-programming when it scheduled the film for Friday, July 21, opposite Universal’s Oppenheimer.

After all, Barbie, directed by Greta Gerwig, is a candy-coated comedy following the famous Mattel doll, played by Margot Robbie, as she contends with an existential crisis, with Ryan Gosling’s Ken doll along for the ride.

And Oppenheimer is Christoper Nolan’s sobering biopic about the so-called father of the atomic bomb, with Cillian Murphy leading a cast that includes Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, and Robert Downey Jr.

But where studio execs saw box office competition, fans saw double-feature synergy. And thus, “Barbenheimer” was born.

According to AMC Theatres, 40,000 customers have already purchased same-day tickets to both movies.

“This could have been something dividing the masses, but instead it’s bringing everyone together,” moviegoer Nicole Boisseau told Variety.

“Since they are so different, it’s not like you’re going to spend six hours watching the same thing,” dad Jay Boisseau added.

Related:

WATCH: Ryan Gosling and Simu Liu’s Ken dolls “beach” each other off in the very gay ‘Barbie’ trailer

We sincerely hope you didn’t have any plans today, because the ‘Barbie’ movie is taking over the internet.

And the stars of both Barbie and Oppenheimer are hyping up both movies. “I think it’s great. I mean, I’ll be going to see Barbie, 100 percent. I can’t wait to see it,” Murphy said to IGN. “I think it’s just great for the industry and for audiences that we have two amazing films by amazing filmmakers coming out the same day. And yeah, you could spend a whole day in the cinema—what’s better than that?”

And in an Associated Press interview, Robbie called Barbenheimer the “perfect double bill,” recommending that fans “start [their] day with Barbie, then go straight into Oppenheimer, then [have a] Barbie chaser.”

Even Tom Cruise is all in. “I love a double feature, and it doesn’t get more explosive (or more pink) than one with Oppenheimer and Barbie,” he tweeted in June.

On Twitter, meanwhile, fans have been posting Barbenheimer memes, Photoshopped movie posters, and even fan edits and fake trailers.

Forget viral—Barbenheimer has now gone atomic.

Related:

This ‘Barbie’ poster trend just took over Gay Twitter™ and now the dolls are thirstier than ever

Now everyone from Timothée Chalamet to Shawn Mendes is part of the ‘Barbie’ universe.

Don't forget to share:

Help make sure LGBTQ+ stories are being told...

We can't rely on mainstream media to tell our stories. That's why we don't lock Queerty articles behind a paywall. Will you support our mission with a contribution today?

Once Monthly Annually

Cancel anytime · Proudly LGBTQ+ owned and operated