Barbie’s first official trailer brought intrigue with its burst of vibrant colors and an excellent cast that it appears Barbie will beat Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer at the box office. Greta Gerwig’s Barbie and Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer are two highly anticipated films expected to be released on July 21st. While media sites enjoy framing the two blockbusters against one another, there is no animosity between the two great filmmakers. The juxtaposition of Barbie and Oppenheimer’s tones and trailers brings welcome intrigue for each film, but Barbie has slowly garnered more exciting and positive press in the past year that it’s certain to be the box office winner.

Since 2009, Mattel has attempted to make a theatrical live-action Barbie movie. After numerous screenplay drafts and a shift in production companies, Margot Robbie sealed the titular role with Gerwig attached to write and direct the film. Gerwig’s choice brought more curiosity to Barbie as her last two films, Lady Bird and Little Women, have each been acclaimed for their intimate portrayals of young adulthood. While a movie about a toy can be disregarded as purely profit-driven, Barbie’s talent behind and in front of the screen has turned it into one of the most anticipated blockbusters of the summer, rivaling Nolan’s Oppenheimer, which premiers on the same date.

Barbie's Cast Has Praised the Brilliance Of The Script

One of the main reasons for Barbie’s appeal has been the slow reveal of its versatile cast that is renowned for blending comedy and drama. Besides Margot Robbie being perfectly cast as Barbie, the next compelling announcement was Ryan Gosling starring as Ken. The two leads were followed by Issa Rae, Simu Liu, Kate McKinnon, and Will Ferrell to name a few. These Barbie cast announcements established it as a film with performers who have skillsets to sing, dance, and enact stunts. While their roles were a mystery, the actors collectively shared a physicality to their performances that conveyed the message this film would be a vivacious affair.

Robbie, Gosling, Ferrell, and Liu have praised the Barbie script, with Gosling referring to it as the best script he’s ever read (via A.V Club). The film was penned by Gerwig and Noah Baumbach, sparking further interest in what two independent filmmakers create for a summer blockbuster. The immense acting talent involved has each part of great films, and hearing their adoration for the movie a year before its release has built more excitement. While great movies do not always equate to great theater attendance, Barbie’s cast has already shared an eagerness to praise the film, and the press will only grow for the next few months.

Barbie’s Leaked Set Photos and New Posters Have Gone Viral

Last summer, Warner Bros. released the first photo of Ryan Gosling as Ken with bleached hair, a spray tan, and washboard abs against a bright pink backdrop. This single image set social media ablaze with curiosity while establishing Barbie’s playful tone. There will be nothing subtle about this movie, and it will fully embrace the vibrant plastic world of Babrie. Due to Gosling’s past stoic roles, his Ken picture birthed memes about groups of men requesting tickets to Barbie. Whether mocking or sincere, this unexpected audience support showed Barbie’s ability to have its finger on the internet’s social pulse in a distinct way, and this was just the beginning.

Throughout 2022, leaked photos and videos of Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling as Barbie and Ken in matching neon roller skating outfits went viral across media sites. After the multi-color poster release for individual cast members revealed variations of the actors as Barbie and Ken, memes parodied the poster format with different actors and characters photoshopped into the film. The plot of Barbie remains unknown, yet the film’s whimsical and self-aware marketing has been able to heighten the hype. Barbie’s sensational press may be a momentary blip in culture, but people’s fascination with the movie’s details has sparked a social discourse that Oppenheimer and other summer blockbusters have not achieved.

Barbie Has A Beloved Brand

Barbie has been a famous toy brand for the past 60 years and appeals to generations of audiences. While animated versions of Barbie exist, a live-action film is intriguing. The film is not yet rated, but the two teasers have displayed humor catered towards adults while balancing a joyful color scheme and set design that captures a child’s imagination. The first teaser portrayed children enamored by Barbie and simultaneously parodied 2001: A Space Odyssey. The film’s marketing has celebrated and satirized what Barbie represents in popular culture. Barbie has played to its strengths by gaining appeal and approval from both fans of the toy brand and lovers of cinema.

Barbie is a beloved brand, but Nolan has created his own beloved brand as a filmmaker. Oppenheimer and Barbie are box office attractions because they provide a welcome contrast in stories and tones that are certain to satisfy all sorts of audiences. Nolan has a long history of being a blockbuster champion, so seeing a film challenge his premiere has created a friendly competition. The unexpected delight is that Nolan’s contender is Gerwig, another terrific contemporary filmmaker, and that film is the bubblegum pink power of Barbie. Regardless of this media-driven competition, film enthusiasts anticipate July 21st to be an exciting day for movies.