It's 'Barbenheimer' weekend
'Barbie' and 'Oppenheimer' hit theaters. Are you seeing one? Both? PLUS: Trailers for 'Harley Quinn' and 'The Creator,' new look at 'The Marvels,' and
It’s finally here: Barbenheimer weekend.
After months of promotion and social media buzz, Barbie and Oppenheimer hit theaters today. (Well, actually last night if you happened to see a Thursday show.)
The two very different films became intertwined thanks to a shared release date — something Oppenheimer director Christopher Nolan allegedly wasn’t happy about.
Barbenheimer is harmless.
If anything, it’s boosting the awareness around Barbie and Oppenheimer, which will hopefully translate into higher ticket sales for both movies. I saw on Twitter yesterday that theaters have been adding showtimes at unusual times — we’re talking 1 a.m. and 6 a.m. — to accommodate the demand for these movies. And if moviegoers are buying tickets to create a double feature, go for it.
I’m going to miss out on the fun of Barbenheimer weekend. I thought of buying a ticket for Oppenheimer at the fancy IMAX at the Air & Space Museum over by Dulles Airport too late and had to settle for a showtime next weekend.
Caitlin and I both want to see Barbie, but never figured out a sitter situation. I did propose that one of us see it one night and the other the following night and then compare notes as if we saw it together, but Caitlin didn’t buy into that plan. We’ll probably wait for Barbie to hit home release instead of trying to figure out how we can see it together.
Are you catching Barbie, Oppenheimer or both this weekend? Let me know if you’ve planned a double feature and how that goes.
As always, you can become a paid subscriber to Popculturology for coverage. For $5 a month or $50 a year, this subscription brings you the two weekly editions of the newsletter plus Deep SNL Thoughts and The Box Office Report.
I love writing this newsletter, and if you’re interested in becoming a supporting subscriber, please consider upgrading your subscription.
And regardless of your subscriber level, I appreciate you reading Popculturology.
The News: The Marvels unite, Aquaman sequel reshoots, Nolan and Bond
Trailer Watch: Harley Quinn, The Creator
Odds and Ends: Ryan Gosling’s Ken things, Turtle tots
I love writing about pop culture, and I hope you enjoy reading this newsletter. If you enjoy reading Popculturology, please consider gifting a subscription to a friend.
New look at The Marvels
The Marvels might be the most Marvel Cinematic Universe-y of all the Marvel Cinematic Universe projects.
First off, it’s a sequel to Brie Larson’s Captain Marvel. And with Iman Vellani’s Kamala Khan in a starring role, it’s also a sequel to the Ms. Marvel TV show. Oh, and then there’s Teyonah Parris as Monica Rambeau, who we saw gain her powers in WandaVision. And as Entertainment Weekly points out in a new feature on The Marvels, the film also serves as a sequel to Avengers: Endgame and Secret Invasion.
Phew.
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to Popculturology to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.