Can “Oppenheimer” hit the box office like a bomb? At least in the theatrical duel against “Barbie” and “Mission: Impossible 7,” Christopher Nolan’s new film seems to be getting the short end of the stick.
This summer’s first big movie, “Indiana Jones and the Wheel of Destiny,” is currently falling short of high expectations. As a result, all eyes are now fixed on the three major new releases in July: “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning – Part 1,” “Oppenheimer” and “Barbie“.
The latter two films in particular will soon be engaged in a huge showdown, as it is rare for two blockbusters to be released on the same day, and the differences between the two productions make the comparisons between “Oppenheimer” and “Barbie” really amusing.
Which film will win? That’s what movie fans around the world are asking, but it all depends on how you define “win” here. “Oppenheimer” is at a clear disadvantage in several areas and will therefore have a hard time in theaters, at least in direct comparison to “Barbie”.
The Marketing
“Barbie” doesn’t let itself go in terms of advertising, especially in the U.S. you can hardly save yourself from “Barbie”. A real Barbie dream house in California, shakes and ice cream in Barbie colors, plus countless billboards and commercials – whether you’re interested in “Barbie” or not, you’ve heard of the movie in any case.
The situation is very different with “Oppenheimer. Universal’s marketing relies mainly on two trailers, a poster and various stills from the film itself, everything seems very restrained. It’s clear that “Oppenheimer” can’t be marketed as humorously and colorfully as “Barbie,” but at the moment you hear conspicuously little about “Oppenheimer”; its best advertising is actually the ironic cinema duel against “Barbie” that was dreamed up by movie fans on the Internet.
The Age Rating
In the U.S., both films have already received their age rating from the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), where “Barbie” has been given a PG-13 rating (from 13 years of age, children can be accompanied by parents), while “Oppenheimer” has been given an R rating. This means that the film is only released for viewers aged 17 and up; younger viewers would have to go to the cinema with a parent.
R-rated films generally have a harder time at the box office, since a higher age rating automatically reduces the audience. Of course, films of this type can be extremely successful, “Joker” or “Hangover” are just two examples, but their success is relative, with a PG-13 rating more is possible.
Therefore, it can be firmly expected that “Barbie” will make more money at the box office than “Oppenheimer”. That doesn’t automatically mean that “Oppenheimer” will be a flop, but “Barbie” is likely to take the top spot in the box office charts – if Tom Cruise can’t hold his own here with “Mission: Impossible 7.
The Reviews
So far, no press screenings of “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” have taken place. So everything is still open here, and “Oppenheimer” has a chance to do better than “Barbie” on the Tomatometer, the measure of the popular movie review website Rotten Tomatoes.
Fans of Christopher Nolan in particular, who are following the competition between “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer,” are hoping for a win here, because it is currently quite conceivable that Nolan has succeeded in creating a new masterpiece that may not leave its mark at the box office, but will certainly leave its mark in film history.
In any case, we won’t have to wait much longer for the big winner of the movie summer to reveal itself. But whether it’s “Barbie,” “Oppenheimer” or “Mission: Impossible 7,” the main thing is that you enjoy the films. Fortunately, the program for the coming months also offers reason to look forward!
