Barbie director Greta Gerwig isn’t losing any sleep over her highly anticipated film’s theatrical release coinciding with Christopher Nolan‘s magnum opus Oppenheimer.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Gerwig was confident that the vast differences in the substance of the two films would entice moviegoers to see them both.
“It’s all love — double up, double up twice. I think you’ve got to see what the experience is, Barbie then Oppenheimer, Oppenheimer then Barbie. I think you’ve got to take all of the journeys.”
Barbie premiered in Los Angeles on July 9, complete with a glamorous pink carpet that led the way to Barbie Land. Its inspiration comes from the beloved Mattel doll that’s captivated generations of children around the globe. Fans eagerly await its release with bated breath, causing every trailer that drops to go viral.
Gerwig recalls the process of writing the script with her partner Noah Baumbach during the lockdowns at the height of the coronavirus pandemic. The duo created a fun, flamboyant story with Academy Award nominee Margot Robbie in the eponymous role.
A detail that stood out to Gerwig was the doll’s perpetually arched foot, which she likens to the bat signal and deftly incorporated into the story. It resonated with fans when they glimpsed Barbie’s iconic foot in the trailer.
It’s hard to imagine two films being more different than Barbie and Oppenheimer. The latter is a biopic that tells the story of J. Robert Oppenheimer, the father of the atomic bomb. Actor Issa Rae, who plays President Barbie in Gerwig’s movies, suggests cinephiles watch Oppenheimer first and see Barbie as a chaser to lift their spirits.
A trip to Barbie Land certainly sounds like the perfect flight of fancy after the somber subject matter of Oppenheimer. Helen Mirren is the narrator, which co-stars Ryan Gosling, America Ferrera, Ncuti Gatwa, Kate McKinnon, Kingley Ben-Adir, Rhea Perlman, Will Ferrell, Dua Lipa, and Simu Liu.
Barbie will premiere in cinemas on June 21.
