Warner Bros must find it so amusing that they scheduled “Barbie” press screenings on the same date and time as “Oppenheimer.” That’s what they’re doing in most big cities across North America, the lone exception being New York City.
This rivalry, of these two polar opposite films, dates back to when Christopher Nolan, who was with Warner Bros for two decades, left the studio in response to their dump of theatrical releases, including “Tenet,” on HBO Max during the pandemic.
If Warners truly wanted Nolan to come back, which their top bosses have stated is a priority, then why are they releasing “Barbie” on the same day as “Oppenheimer”? To make matters worse, the press screenings for both films are also on the same day, and a lot pissed off critics are going on social media to show their frustration.
I’ve so far seen critics from Boston, San Francisco, Washington, Chicago, and more, venting about the scheduling conflict. Nolan/Universal had sent over a save the date email weeks before the “Barbie” team. So, this means Warner knew that there was a scheduling conflict, but still went ahead with the plan to have “Barbie” collide with “Oppenheimer.”
Tonight, Warner Bros is allowing the social media embargo for “Barbie” to lift, but its only really been seen, so far, by easy-to-please influencers, Twitter fools and a Gerwig stans. The reactions will be over the top, and that’s what Warner wants.
I couldn’t care less about the box office matchup between these two; it doesn’t make any sense to even compare the monetary prospects of an R-rated non-IP vs a PG-13 mass-marketed product. What matters are the reviews: which film will get the better ones?
The fact that Warner Bros has tied the hands of critics who now have to choose between “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” is a rather odd development. Why even do that? What’s the motive? Are you trying to get less reviews before opening night?
