Margot Robbie reveals that Oppenheimer producer, Chuck Roven, asked her to move Barbie’s release date.
It’s the movie showdown of the year: Barbie vs. Oppenheimer. Two films with wildly different genres, tones, and audiences, but with one thing in common: they both hit the theaters on July 21, 2023. And while the internet has been buzzing with memes, jokes, and debates about the unlikely pairing, the stars of the films have also been sharing their thoughts on the phenomenon.
In a recent interview with Variety’s Actors on Actors series, Margot Robbie, who plays the iconic fashion doll in Greta Gerwig’s Barbie, revealed that she was approached by Chuck Roven, one of the producers of Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer, to change her film’s release date.
Roven, who has worked with Nolan on several films, including The Dark Knight trilogy and Inception, apparently wanted to avoid the direct competition with Barbie, which was expected to be a huge hit with female and younger audiences. But Robbie, who is also a producer on Barbie, along with her husband Tom Ackerley and their company LuckyChap Entertainment, was not willing to compromise on her vision and passion for the project. She told Cillian Murphy, who plays the titular role of the atomic bomb scientist in Oppenheimer, how she politely declined Roven’s request and explained why she believed in the power of Barbie.
How it all started: The story behind Barbie and Oppenheimer’s release date clash
The release date clash between Barbie and Oppenheimer was not a coincidence, but a result of a series of events that involved multiple studios, distributors, and filmmakers. Here is how it all started:-
•Barbie was originally set to be released by Sony Pictures on June 29, 2018, with Amy Schumer attached to star and co-write the script.
•However, Schumer dropped out of the project in March 2017, citing scheduling conflicts. Sony then pushed back the release date to August 8, 2018, and later to May 8, 2020, while looking for a new lead actress.
• In July 2017, Anne Hathaway was in talks to replace Schumer as Barbie, with Alethea Jones directing the film. However, the deal fell through, and Sony eventually sold the rights to Barbie to Warner Bros. in October 2018. Warner Bros. then announced that Margot Robbie would star and produce the film, with Patty Jenkins as a potential director.
• In January 2019, Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach were hired to write the script for Barbie, with Gerwig also eyeing to direct the film. Gerwig confirmed her involvement as the director in July 2019, saying that she was “very excited” to work with Robbie on the film. Warner Bros. then set the release date for Barbie as May 8, 2020, the same date that Sony had previously assigned.
• However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Barbie was among the many films that had to delay their production and release dates. Warner Bros. first moved the release date to June 5, 2020, and then to August 14, 2020. In April 2020, Warner Bros. announced that Barbie would be released on June 23, 2023, along with several other films, including The Flash, Shazam! Fury of the Gods, and The Matrix 4.
• Meanwhile, Oppenheimer was a secret project that Christopher Nolan had been working on since 2019, after completing his previous film, Tenet. Nolan, who is known for his preference for theatrical releases over streaming platforms, was unhappy with Warner Bros.’ decision to release all of its 2020 and 2021 films simultaneously on HBO Max and in theaters. He criticized Warner Bros. for being “very, very, very, very messy” and “not even understanding what they’re losing” by abandoning the theatrical model
• In August 2021, Nolan decided to part ways with Warner Bros. after working with them for 19 years, and started shopping his new film, Oppenheimer, to other studios. He eventually chose Universal Pictures, which agreed to his demands, including a $100 million budget, a 100-day theatrical window, and a 20% cut of the first-dollar gross.
•Universal then announced that Oppenheimer would be released on July 21, 2023, the same date as Barbie.
Why Margot Robbie said no to Chuck Roven’s request to delay Barbie
When Margot Robbie learned that Oppenheimer would be released on the same date as Barbie, she was not intimidated by the competition. In fact, she was confident that her film would appeal to a different and larger demographic than Nolan’s historical drama.In her interview with Cillian Murphy, Robbie said that she was “very proud” of Barbie and that she wanted to “celebrate women and their stories” with the film. She also said that she was inspired by Greta Gerwig’s vision and direction, and that she had a lot of fun playing the iconic character.
Robbie also revealed that Chuck Roven, one of the producers of Oppenheimer, contacted her and asked her to move Barbie’s release date. Roven, who had previously worked with Robbie on Suicide Squad and Birds of Prey, apparently wanted to avoid the direct clash with Barbie, which he feared would take away a significant portion of the box office revenue from Oppenheimer.However, Robbie politely declined Roven’s request, saying that she was “very happy” with Barbie’s release date and that she did not want to change it.
“He was like, ‘I think you guys should move your date.’ And I was like, ‘We’re not moving our date. If you’re scared to be up against us, then you move your date,’” Margot recalled
“He was like, ‘We’re not moving our date, I just think it’d be better for you to move,’”
Margot recalled that she refused to budge, telling Chuck, “We’re not moving. I think this is a really great pairing, actually.”
Cillian told Margot, “That was a good instinct,”
She also told Roven that she was “very excited” to see Oppenheimer and that she was a big fan of Nolan and Murphy.Robbie said that Roven was “very understanding” and “very respectful” of her decision, and that they ended the conversation on good terms.
She also said that she hoped that both films would do well and that there would be enough room for both of them in the market.
The internet reacts: How fans and critics are responding to Barbie vs. Oppenheimer
The release date clash between Barbie and Oppenheimer has sparked a lot of reactions from fans and critics on social media and online platforms. Some of them have expressed their excitement and curiosity about the two films, while others have made jokes and memes about the contrast and comparison between them.
Some of the popular memes and jokes include:
•A poster of Barbie and Oppenheimer with the tagline “One is a nuclear bomb, the other is Oppenheimer”.
•A twitter user wrote “Barbie vs. Oppenheimer is the new Batman vs. Superman”.
• Another comment comment said “I can’t wait to see Margot Robbie as Barbie and Cillian Murphy as Oppenheimer in the same movie. Oh wait, that’s The Wolf of Wall Street”.
However there were other critical comments:
•A comment said “Barbie and Oppenheimer are both examples of Hollywood’s lack of originality and creativity. They are both recycled and uninspired ideas that have been done before. I think they will both flop and be forgotten”.
• A Twitter user wrote “I hate Margot Robbie and Cillian Murphy. They are both overrated and annoying actors who can’t act and have no charisma. I’m so annoyed that they are both in Barbie and Oppenheimer. They deserve all the Razzies”.
Barbie and Oppenheimer they are very different films, with different genres, tones, and audiences. Barbie is a comedy-drama film that follows the adventures of the iconic fashion doll as she explores the real world and discovers her true self. Oppenheimer is a historical thriller film that chronicles the life and work of the atomic bomb scientist and his involvement in the Manhattan Project.Whether you are a fan of comedy or drama, history or fantasy, Margot Robbie or Cillian Murphy, or both, fans had a lot of options to choose from on July 21, 2023. Some watched one of them, and some both of them.
