What is “Barbenheimer?” Double feature goes viral online

What do you get when two long-awaited, but opposite movies come out on the same day? For movie fans, the answer is a good time – and the birth of ‘Barbenheimer’.

The trend, a portmanteau of Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie” and Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer” — both set to premiere July 21 — has taken the internet by storm, spawning countless artworks, videos, memes, and merchandise.

It has even caught the attention of A-listers like Tom Cruise, and has had the protagonists of both films plotting their perfect Barbenheimer weekends. But what is it? And which movie should you see first?

What is “Barbenheimer?”

Barbenheimer came about when fans realized that ‘Barbie’ and ‘Oppenheimer’, both movies with massive online followings, were scheduled to air on the same day.

It’s a bizarre combination — ‘Barbie’ is a light-hearted comedy in bright colors, with an anthropomorphic child puppet; while “Oppenheimer” features a dark and intense retelling of the creation of the atomic bomb and its chief overseer.

At first, online observers argued about which movie was superior and which one they will see, but fans soon wondered – since the early aughts meme goes – “Why not both?”

And so Barbenheimer was born, with fans pledging to get the most out of the double feature and watch both on the same day – a total of 294 minutes of film time.

The trend, supported by the online fandom, has proved to be a great marketing success. AMC Theaters reported that, for example, more than 20,000 of its AMC Stubs members booked to see both movies on the same day.

That said, “Barbie” is expected to sell more tickets Box Office Pro predicts the movie to make $85 million in its opening weekend – and those are lowball estimates. Meanwhile, “Oppenheimer” is predicted to earn $45 million in the same time.

What do actors think of “Barbenheimer?”

Actors involved in both “Oppenheimer” and “Barbie” seem to love the concept, with the latter’s protagonist, Margot Robbie, even considering how she would spend her Barbenheimer weekend.

“It’s a perfect double bill,” Robbie said at the premiere of her film in London on Wednesday. “I think you basically start your day with ‘Barbie,’ then go straight to ‘Oppenheimer,’ and then a ‘Barbie’ chaser.”

“Barbie” star Ryan Gosling agreed, saying he would see “Barbie” first, then “Oppenheimer for lunch,” followed by another “Barbie” viewing.

On the other hand, “Oppenheimer” led. Cillian Murphy told IGN he was “100 percent” intent on seeing “Barbie” and that Barbenheimer was “just great for the industry and for the audience…you can spend all day at the movies. What could be better than that?”

Other high-profile actors have commented on the trend. In an interview with Tom Cruise said, “What’s great is you’re going to see both on the weekend. I haven’t quite decided yet, I think (I’ll see) first ‘Oppenheimer’ and then ‘Barbie.’”

Barbenheimer caused an explosion of online art

On the Internet, talented artists seemed to take Barbenheimer as a challenge and began producing beautiful works and fake movie posters that merged the two films. Here are some of our favourites.

Others posted videos and mock trailers of the two films – here are some for your viewing pleasure.

Finally, for online shoppers, there’s a deluge of Barbenheimer merchandise, with fans having the option of repeating the double feature with custom t-shirts. Even Robbie said she wanted to have a shirt signed by Murphy, as a memento.

Will you join the Barbenheimer frenzy? Which movie will you watch first?

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