I really want to vent about “Barbie,” but I can’t, signed an embargo form yesterday, so it’ll have to wait until the review ban lifts.
All of this to say that the folks over at Warner/Mattel have done a masterful job marketing this one. They’ve truly hidden the fact that this movie is not at all what the mainstream will expect it to be. Kudos.
The result is that now “Barbie” is projected to open with 3-day weekend total of $110 million. How did this happen? Top-notch marketing, that’s how. Also, slyly hiding what this film is actually about. I’m now very curious about audience reactions for this one.
Meanwhile, Nolan’s “Oppenheimer” has slightly ticked up and is now expected to nab a $50 million 3-day opening. I bet that when the rave reviews do start coming out it might, maybe, go up to $60 million.
A rivalry between these two polar opposite films was created months ago online, with fans, of both movies, slugging it out on social media. Of course, quality is what matters here.
I’m not saying critics won’t be doing splits for “Barbie” either, they very well might, but it will turn out to be the more divisive movie of the two. Gerwig takes these bold artistic swings and it’s not really a mainstream statement at all. It really goes by its own silly and original spirit.
The embargo should lift for both of these films very soon end then the floodgates of think pieces will open.
The ‘Smile’ franchise has a new director. David Bruckner, who made “The Night House” and the 2022 “Hellraiser” reboot, has been hired to direct “Smile 3” for Paramount.