The Barbie-Oppenheimer Double Feature Demand Is Real, AMC Has Sold 20,000 Tickets

Barbie and Oppenheimer may not sound like an obvious pairing on paper. One is about an iconic doll entering the real world, while the other focuses on a biographical story about the creation of the atomic bomb. But that’s not stopping over 20,000 people from creating their own double feature to see both when they premiere July 21.

That’s right, Variety reports the “Barbenheimer” movement has some real traction, becoming more than just a social media joke. AMC Theatres sent out a press release stating over 20,000 AMC Stubs members have plopped down cash to see Barbie and Oppenheimer back to back. Keep in mind: This is just one theater chain, so the numbers are obviously higher.

“That more than 20,000 moviegoers have already made plans and purchased tickets to see Barbie and Oppenheimer on the same day is a great sign that the growing online conversation around seeing both of these incredible films is turning into ticket sales,” said Elizabeth Frank, who’s executive vice president of worldwide programming and chief content officer at AMC Theatres.

Obviously, not everyone will see both films. As such, early tracking points to Barbie possibly doubling up Oppenheimer at the box office opening weekend. Barbie could rake in as much as $80 million–though Warner Bros. is thinking more along the lines of $60 million–while Oppenheimer is estimated to earn $40 million.

At one point, there were rumors that Barbenheimer wouldn’t even be possible. There were talks earlier this year that Oppenheimer would be delayed, but that wasn’t the case. So it’s still bomb versus bombshell this month at theaters, though as noted, it’s bomb with the bombshell for thousands of others.

Barbie stars Margot Robbie as the iconic doll alongside Ryan Gosling as Ken. Meanwhile, Cillian Murphy stars as the titular character in Oppenheimer, from filmmaker Christopher Nolan.

For more, check out the best Nolan movies, ranked by Metacritic score.