Barbie vs Oppenheimer latest: Greta Gerwig explains Barbie’s ending after record-breaking box office debut
Gerwig broke the domestic box office record for female director with ‘Barbie’ debut
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Your support makes all the difference.Greta Gerwig has broken the domestic box office record for a female director, with Barbie debuting at $155m in North America and $337m globally.
The film surpassed the $103.3m domestic opening of Patty Jenkins’ Wonder Woman and the $153m weekend opening of 2019’s Captain Marvel, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Cinemas around the world were busier than ever over the weekend, thanks to the simultaneous release of Barbie and Oppenheimer, with excitement for Gerwig and Christopher Nolan’s respective blockbusters going into overdrive.
While Oppenheimer’s critical ratings have blown past Barbie with a near-perfect Rotten Tomato score, the latter, which stars Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, has surpassed the Cillian Murphy-starring biopic’s box office takings.
In a new interview with The Independent, Nolan described Oppenheimer as “the biggest film I’ve made”. Murphy admitted to struggling to watch the film due to seeing his face projected on the screen, but acknowledged that the film is “designed” to be “watched with an audience”.
Meanwhile, Gerwig has spoken about her film’s “mic drop” ending, after breaking the record for the biggest box office debut by a female director.
Oppenheimer viewer spots blunder in background of new Christopher Nolan movie
Christopher Nolan and Cillian Murphy on Oppenheimer: ‘Taking that risk on behalf of all of us and our descendants – there’s nothing bigger than that’
Margot Robbie cast Rob Brydon ‘as a priority’ in Barbie
Mission: Impossible struggles at box office against record-breaking might of Barbenheimer
Barbie review: A near-miraculous achievement from Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie
‘Barbie’ viewers are reacting to a ‘jump scare' cameo in the new film
Barbie stars many recognisable faces in smaller roles as different versions of Barbie and Ken, one of which is none other than Welsh comedy srtar Rob Brydon.
It turns out Margot Robbie was instrumental in ensuring he appeared in the film.
Read more here.
Barbie viewers react to ‘jump scare’ cameo in new film
‘His appearance was the cherry on top for me,’ one cinemagoer wrote
‘Barbie’ is set to enter the history books
The Barbie and Oppeheimer excitement has resulted in one of the most lucrative box office openings of all time.
Both films opened on Friday (21 July), with their opening weekend box office tally across the world looking set to top the $400m (£311m) mark, which is a rare occurrence reserved for cinematic events.
Barbie, directed by Greta Gerwig and starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, is storming ahead with the lion’s share of those takings.
The film is estimated to amass $300m (£233m) internationally, which will see it earn the most successful opening of an original non-superhero film ever.
Read more here.
Barbie set to earn biggest ever opening for non-superhero film
Both ‘Barbie’ and ‘Oppenheimer’ have exceeded projections in a huge way
Oppenheimer might be about the inventor of the atomic bomb, but the film features two characters who are worthy of their own three-hour film: Florence Pugh’s Jean Tatlock and Emily Blunt, who playes Oppehenimer’s wife Kitty.
Annabel Nugent spoke to historians to find out more about their lives.
The true story of the brilliant, complicated female figures behind Oppenheimer
In ‘Oppenheimer’, Christopher Nolan’s new film about the inventor of the atomic bomb, Florence Pugh is the messy mistress Jean Tatlock, Emily Blunt the alcoholic wife. Annabel Nugent talks to historians and discovers the women’s true story to be worthy of a three-hour film of its own
Quentin Tarantino is getting in on the action
Filmmaker Quentin Tarantino, a noted champion of cinema, has found himself caught up in Barbenheimer.
According to one Twitter user, the Pulp Fiction director saw Oppenheimer first in Los Angeles before heading over the road to see Barbie.
In a meta twist, the cinema he’s seen getting a ticket from here is the one Sharon Tate – played by Barbie star Margot Robbie – goes to in his latest film Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.
Was Oppenheimer really the ‘father’ of the atomic bomb?
“It is always too easy to fall for the great man – or great woman – theory of history,” Guy Walters writes in a long read for The Independent.
“But the problem with the great man theory is that it seldom holds water, and nowhere is it more leaky than with Oppenheimer.
“To regard him as the ‘father of the atomic bomb’ is to ignore not only that the Manhattan Project was the result of a historically unprecedented level of teamwork, but also those others who are equally deserving of atomic fatherhood status.”
Read more:
Was Oppenheimer really the ‘father’ of the atomic bomb?
As Christopher Nolan’s epic is released, other great men and women surely deserve ‘parenthood’ of this moment in history, says Guy Walters
America Ferrera points out ‘revolutionary’ detail in Barbie Dreamhouse
In a new interview for the Harper’s Bazaar UK Summer issue, Barbie star America Ferrera, 39, discussed Barbie’s progressive but “inelegant” history since its creation in 1959.
Ferrera said that growing up, she was “never a Barbie girl” but there have been “revolutionary” moments in Barbie’s history when Mattel has made subversive statements about womanhood.
Ferrera pointed out that there was no kitchen in the first Barbie Dreamhouse, which freed the doll from expectations of domesticity.
Read more:
America Ferrera points out ‘revolutionary’ detail in original Barbie Dreamhouse
The ‘Ugly Betty’ actor plays Gloria, an assistant to the chief executive of Mattel in the new ‘Barbie’ film
Are Christopher Nolan’s films right-wing?
That’s the question explored by my colleague Louis Chilton in his comment piece for The Independent.
The 52-year-old filmmaker’s work has long prompted speculation over his political views, from the supposedly pro-conservative Dark Knight to the anti-war messaging of Tenet. Does his nuclear biopic Oppenheimer hold any answers?
Are Christopher Nolan’s films right-wing? Oppenheimer finally suggests otherwise
The 52-year-old filmmaker’s work has long prompted speculation over his political views, from the supposedly pro-conservative ‘Dark Knight’ to the anti-war messaging of ‘Tenet’. Does his nuclear biopic ‘Oppenheimer’ hold any answers, asks Louis Chilton
Barbie manufacturer accused of ‘stealth marketing’ in schools
Mattel has sparked criticism for “stealth marketing” to children after a new programme gave away free Barbie dolls in schools, a move that health experts are claiming reinforces damaging gender stereotypes.
The toy manufacturer launched the “Barbie School of Friendship” programme this year, in which free Barbie dolls were given to an estimated 150,000 students in 700 schools across the UK to teach social skills.
However, in an investigative piece published in the British Medical Journal on 20 July, many experts have questioned the programme’s potential negative effects of gender stereotyping, as well as companies freely marketing their products in schools.
Mattel accused of ‘stealth marketing’ after giving away free Barbie dolls in schools
Health experts have claimed Mattel-sponsored school programme ‘reinforces damaging gender stereotypes’
Christopher Nolan says Oppenheimer is ‘the biggest film I’ve ever made’
The Independent sat down with both Nolan and Cillan Murphy to discuss Oppenheimer.
During the chat, Nolan discussed his new film as well as his directing future while Murphy admitted: “I love watching Christopher Nolan’s films when I’m not in them.
Read the full interview here.
Christopher Nolan and Cillian Murphy on Oppenheimer: ‘There’s nothing bigger’
The blockbuster director and ‘Peaky Blinders’ star talk to Jacob Stolworthy about bringing to life the man who masterminded the creation of the atomic bomb
Will ‘Oppenheimer’ be released in Japan?
For obvious reasons, some fans are wondering whether Oppenheimer will have a theatrical release in Japan.
The Independent understands that plans for the film’s release have not yet been finalised in all markets. Japan also tends to release later than other markets with Barbie coming out on 11 August there.
Read more here:
Will Oppenheimer be released in Japanese movie theatres?
Film depicts the 1945 bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which killed around 200,000 people
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