CAN WE TALK A BOUT?

BARBENHEIMER THE DOUBLE BILL THAT MIGHT JUST SAVE CINEMA.

In the weeks leading up to Greta Gerwig’s Barbie and Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer – both of which hit UK cinemas on 21 July – anticipation reached nuclear levels. Dubbed collectively as ‘Barbenheimer’, the pair set social media ablaze with everything from frantic debates to memes, fan art to commemorative T-shirts. Joyously, that excitement translated to box office, with the films contributing to the UK and Ireland’s biggest seven-day box office on record while also breaking records stateside and right across the world.

This success saw Hollywood legend Francis Ford Coppola weigh in during a Q&A on his Instagram story: ‘The fact that people are filling big theaters to see [these films] and that they are neither “sequels” nor “prequels”… is [a] victory for cinema,’ he enthused.

‘SUMMER 2023 HAS BEGUN WITH AN UNDENIABLE MOMENT’

As well as both being original titles, it’s interesting to consider the differences between them: Gerwig’s movie mixes feminist smarts with a bright palette and pin-sharp satire; Nolan’s brooding war flick features men talking earnestly in rooms and also delivers his trademark spectacle, filling IMAX screens with eye-scorching explosions. Folk of every stripe are clearly connecting with both films, though data from Parrot Analytics suggests that the majority of Barbie cinemagoers identify as female Gen-Zedders, and Oppenheimer audiences are mainly males from older age groups, such as Millennials and Generation Xers.

Arguably all this is positive, showing an audience appetite for diversity in mainstream cinematic releases. Films should be varied, and Barbenheimer’s success could prompt studios to move away from safe slates of homogenous franchise fare to take more risks on original IPs.

However there is a counter-narrative which appears to be emerging. Some are stressing that Oppenheimer’s success in a one-off, attributing it to the ‘Nolan effect’, while The New Yorker says Mattel have another 17 properties in development, with everything from Uno to Barney potentially getting a bigscreen outing. Mattel’s CEO Ynon Kreiz says Masters of the Universe is ‘as big as Marvel and DC’ and could kick start its own cinematic universe. So much for original IP.

Whatever happens, summer 2023 has begun with an undeniable moment. Here’s hoping that, going forward, tent poles continue to take risks and deliver to a range of different audiences.