barbenheimer incident

Barbie and Oppenheimer’s Counterprogramming in July 2023 struck a nerve culturally and had the receipts to back it up. Unlike many things that start as memes, this one transcended its online beginnings. Rather than either/or, both films ultimately complemented and boosted each other at the box office.

Since then, moviegoers, marketers and meme creators have been trying to recreate that moment, searching movie release schedules for strange mashups and sending candidates into the social media void. Most attempts have failed (sorry, Saw Patrol).

This weekend is probably the closest guess so far as the Broadway musical adaptation Wicked opens on Friday against the chest-thumping sword-and-sandal epic Gladiator II. With two big studio releases (Universal and Paramount), one-name titles, contrasting tones and aesthetics, and big blockbuster energy – the name game was already half over: Wickeater, Wadiater, Gladwick and even That’s all the frowning Gladycade has suggested.

What is Glicked?

“Glicked rolls off the tongue a little more,” actor Fred Hechinger said at a New York screening of Gladiator II this week. “I think we should all unite around Glicked. It gets very confusing if you have four or five different names for it.

Like Barbenheimer, as cheesy as it may seem, Glicked also has a male/female split that makes fan art extra silly. One is pink and bright and filled with glitter, tulle, Broadway bangers and brand tie-ins; All else is sweat and sand, blood and bulging muscles.

Both films topped Fandango’s highly anticipated holiday movie survey, where 65% of respondents said they were interested in a Glicked double feature. Theaters big and small are also making waves with movie-themed tie-ins. There will be Roman guards tearing up tickets at some venues and Maximus popcorn tubs at B&B Theatres. Marcus Theaters is doing Oz photo ops and making friendship bracelets. The Alamo Drafthouse is leaning toward the singles aspect (be careful, though, not all theaters are accepting it) and decadent drinks like the “Defying Gravy-Tea.”

Gladiator II star Paul Mescal said, “Instead of being in competition, I think they’re in conversation.” “This industry requires an effort. Those films gave it last year. “We hope to do that this year.”

Could Glick be by this year’s Barbenheimer?

And the hope is that the audience will also come to the theaters to be a part of this moment. An influx of potential blockbuster films is sorely needed in a market that is still at an 11% loss from last year and down 27.2% from 2019, according to comScore data.

“Competition is good for the market. It’s good for consumers,” said Michael O’Leary, president and CEO of the National Association of Theater Owners. “Having two great movies coming out at the same time is a multiplier effect.”

Glicked is currently tracking for a combined North American debut in the $165 million range, with Wicked projected to make around $100 million (up from the $80 million estimate a few weeks ago) and Gladiator II in the $65 million range. Have guessed.

Barbenheimer blasted its projections last July. That weekend, the take was estimated at $90 million for Barbee and about $40 million for Oppenheimer. Ultimately, they earned a combined $244 million on that first voyage and approximately $2.4 billion by the end of their run.

It’s possible that Glicked may also exceed expectations. And it has the advantage that it has another veteran coming behind it: Moana 2, which opens just five days later on the Wednesday before the Thanksgiving holiday. Glickedana Triple Feature anyone?

“These are 10 important days,” O’Leary said. “It will show moviegoers that there are a lot of exciting things out there for them to see.”

There are also endless warnings about the imperfect comparison of “Barbenheimer”. Wicked One is “Part One”. Musical films carry their own baggage with audiences, even musicals based on hugely successful productions (ahem, Cats). Gladiator II got off to a good start and debuted internationally last weekend. In fact, in the UK it played with Paddington in Peru, where that double was paired with Gladington. Gladiator reviews, while positive, are a little more divided than others. And neither director Ridley Scott nor Jon M. Chu have the built-in box office cash that Christopher Nolan alone has to his name at this point.

The new films cost more than Barbie ($145 million) and Oppenheimer ($100 million). According to reports, Gladiator II cost $250 million; Wicked reportedly cost $150 million to produce (and that doesn’t include the cost of the second film coming next year).

However, the narrative has moved away from “who will win at the weekend?” Earlier this year, Chu told The Associated Press that he likes that this is a moment where “we can work for all the movies all the time.”

More Barbenheimers to come

There are a ton of Christmas releases out there with double-feature potential, but these seem a little more unique. These include the remake of Nosferatu, the Nicole Kidman kink pic Babygirl, and the Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown. The Internet can’t seem to even decide its stance on that group of contenders, and no one really screams blockbuster. However, sometimes the fun is just in the game. Some people are adamant on a one-name mashup (Bebiratu); Others are suggesting that the fact that the two films feature real-life exes (Timothée Chalamet and Lily-Rose Depp) is reason enough for a double feature. And talking to people is half the battle.

When in doubt, or lacking a catchy name, the default is always: “This is my Barbenheimer.”