‘Barbenheimer’ showdown: advance booking battle heats up

On July 21, a highly-anticipated cinematic showdown awaits as Christopher Nolan’s epic biographical thriller Oppenheimer faces off against Greta Gerwig’s much-talked-about adaptation of Barbie.

As excitement surrounds the “Barbenheimer” (the term coined by netizens) clash, early indications suggest a robust box office opening for both films.

According to the media reports, Oppenheimer, starring Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Floerence Pugh and others, initiated its advance booking ten days ago, garnering an impressive response within the initial hours. A film trade analyst said that a staggering 90,000 tickets have already been booked for the movie’s opening day across major chains like PVR, INOX, and Cinepolis, including screenings in the grand IMAX format.

The reports said that the Margot Robbie-Ryan Gosling starrer Barbie commenced its advance booking and has also showed promising results. With 16,000 tickets already sold across multiple chains for the opening day, the film has successfully piqued audience interest.

Director Gerwig and Robbie, stars of Barbie, extended their support to Nolan’s Oppenheimer by posing with a ticket in front of the movie’s poster at a cinema hall.

Murphy, portraying the titular character in Oppenheimer, expressed support for Barbie and praised the simultaneous release of two exceptional films by renowned filmmakers.

Meanwhile, Tom Cruise revealed his curiosity to watch both the movies during their opening weekend. The Mission Impossible actor, during his interview with The Sydney Morning Herald, said, “I plan to see Oppenheimer on July 21 followed by Barbie on the subsequent day,”.

The simultaneous release of these movie has created a sense of anticipation and intrigue among moviegoers.  As the release day approaches, the excitement surrounding Barbenheimer continues to soar.