Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer and Greta Gerwig’s Barbie both hit theaters in the summer of 2023. Despite their differences, the films became linked, leading to the “Barbenheimer” double-feature trend. While Barbie took the lead at the box office, Oppenheimer held its own, grossing $912 million worldwide. According to AP, producer Emma Thomas announced Oppenheimer VOD release won’t be until November. The delay aims to push its earnings past the $1 billion mark, leveraging its ongoing IMAX screenings. The simultaneous release of these two films proved lucrative, prompting studios to consider similar strategies. However, the Barbenheimer success might be a one-off, challenging to replicate in the future.
Oppenheimer Streams Two Months After Barbie’s VOD Launch
Nolan, known for his commercial success, has only had two Batman films surpass $1 billion at the box office. His recent biopic, Oppenheimer, about J. Robert Oppenheimer, has garnered critical and financial acclaim. The film is approximately $88 million short of reaching the $1 billion mark. While the Oppenheimer VOD release is pushed to November, the release date for Oppenheimer on OTT platforms remains undisclosed, but it is anticipated to be available on Amazon Prime for streaming.
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Meanwhile, Gerwig’s Barbie has achieved remarkable success, surpassing The Super Mario Bros. Movie to become the top earner of the year. The film, highlighted by its dance sequences and Ryan Gosling’s discussions on ‘Kenergy’, was released on 21 July 2023, the same day as Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer. While Barbie continues its cinema run in the US and UK, it’s currently available on VOD.
For those awaiting its streaming debut, Barbie is a Warner Bros. Discovery production, indicating its eventual release on Max in the US and Now in the UK. Based on recent Warner Bros. releases like Evil Dead Rise and Shazam! Fury of the Gods, which took around 65 days to stream, Barbie is anticipated to be available on these platforms by Autumn 2023.
