Because Barbie, a comedy by Greta Gerwig, opened on the same day as Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer, together they have been dubbed as “Barbenheimer”. Though these movies have almost nothing in common, many movie fans are excited to watch two of the year’s most anticipated titles back-to-back.
Analysts have predicted that Barbie will debut with over $150 million and may even top The Super Mario Bros. Movie, the year’s champ so far. Oppenheimer is expected to make more than $50 million, a great achievement for a three-hour-drama.
Even with all this hype, many are worried about the upcoming movies. On Friday, Hollywood actors of the SAG-AFTRA union joined the Writers Guild of America in a strike that has been going on since May. This strike affects plans for the films coming out soon.
“It’s the best of times, it’s the worst of times,” said Michael Moses, who helped with the release of Oppenheimer in his role as the chief marketing officer for Universal Pictures.
Even those who are cheering the success of “Barbenheimer” fear that the weekend’s hype won’t last long. The next anticipated hit movie will be Dune: Part Two, to be released on Nov. 3. But that could be delayed if the strike continues because movie stars would be forbidden to take part in the film’s global press tour.
Some upcoming films have already been delayed. The drama White Bird and A24’s comedy Problemista were both supposed to be aired in August, but now they are postponed until an unspecified date. Another delayed film was Challengers, a romance starring Zendaya. That film was set to be released on Aug. 30 at the Venice Film Festival, but it has been moved to April 2024.
Because the strike does not appear close to resolution, many are worried about the future of Hollywood movies. Scott Sanders, a producer, is worried that his release strategy for his film, which is due in theaters on Christmas Day, will end up being wasted because of the delays.
“Worst-case scenario, every studio on the planet decides to move their fourth-quarter movies into next year,” Sanders mused. “Suddenly, the last contenders for awards are ‘Barbie’ and ‘Oppenheimer.’ Then what happens?”
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/21/movies/barbenheimer-strike.html
Analysts have predicted that Barbie will debut with over $150 million and may even top The Super Mario Bros. Movie, the year’s champ so far. Oppenheimer is expected to make more than $50 million, a great achievement for a three-hour-drama.
Even with all this hype, many are worried about the upcoming movies. On Friday, Hollywood actors of the SAG-AFTRA union joined the Writers Guild of America in a strike that has been going on since May. This strike affects plans for the films coming out soon.
“It’s the best of times, it’s the worst of times,” said Michael Moses, who helped with the release of Oppenheimer in his role as the chief marketing officer for Universal Pictures.
Even those who are cheering the success of “Barbenheimer” fear that the weekend’s hype won’t last long. The next anticipated hit movie will be Dune: Part Two, to be released on Nov. 3. But that could be delayed if the strike continues because movie stars would be forbidden to take part in the film’s global press tour.
Some upcoming films have already been delayed. The drama White Bird and A24’s comedy Problemista were both supposed to be aired in August, but now they are postponed until an unspecified date. Another delayed film was Challengers, a romance starring Zendaya. That film was set to be released on Aug. 30 at the Venice Film Festival, but it has been moved to April 2024.
Because the strike does not appear close to resolution, many are worried about the future of Hollywood movies. Scott Sanders, a producer, is worried that his release strategy for his film, which is due in theaters on Christmas Day, will end up being wasted because of the delays.
“Worst-case scenario, every studio on the planet decides to move their fourth-quarter movies into next year,” Sanders mused. “Suddenly, the last contenders for awards are ‘Barbie’ and ‘Oppenheimer.’ Then what happens?”
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/21/movies/barbenheimer-strike.html
