The Battle Begins: Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie” Takes On Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer”
It’s a battle of the titans, folks, and it all started with a date. On July 21, the internet erupted in an outrageously exciting showdown between two of Hollywood’s biggest directors, Greta Gerwig and Christopher Nolan. Oh, and they each have massive blockbusters in the works.
Gerwig, of course, is taking on the beloved childhood classic “Barbie.” Finally, someone has decided to tell the real story behind that ever-smiling, perky blonde doll – and who better to do it than the woman behind the critically acclaimed “Little Women”? It’s safe to say that expectations are high for this one.
On the other side of the ring, we have Nolan’s “Oppenheimer,” a biopic about the man who helped create the atomic bomb. Because what could be more exciting than two hours of watching scientists sit around and do math, right?
Despite the wildly different subject matter, both films have one thing in common: they have the internet buzzing. Fans of Gerwig can’t wait to see what she brings to the Barbie table (other than tiny shoes and dresses that would be completely impractical in real life), while Nolan enthusiasts are eagerly anticipating the chance to spend three hours contemplating the ethics of constructing weapons of mass destruction.
The internet, as it does, immediately took sides. Some hailed Gerwig as a feminist hero for daring to take on a film about a character who has long been criticized for perpetuating unrealistic body standards. Others declared that Nolan’s film would be a thrilling exploration of the moral ambiguity of science.
But the battle didn’t truly heat up until both films set their release dates for the same day – December 16, 2022. Suddenly, it wasn’t just a friendly competition between two wildly different stories. It was war.
Twitter feeds filled with memes pitting the two movies against each other. One showed Barbie holding Oppenheimer in a headlock, captioned “my doll could beat up your scientist.” Another declared “I’m a #Barbieliever and I won’t be swayed by you #Oppenheimerheads!”
The directors themselves remained mostly silent, fueling the fire with their refusal to engage in the ridiculousness. Apparently, they have better things to do than argue about which movie will make more money at the box office (hint: both will probably do just fine, considering they have massive studios backing them).
But in the end, it’s not about the money, or the critical acclaim, or the number of times someone Googles “Barbie Oppenheimer crossover fanfic” (for the record, it’s approximately 27,000). It’s about the excitement of seeing two filmmakers take on completely different subjects and do it in their own unique ways.
Will “Barbie” be a biting commentary on the gender roles forced upon young girls? Will “Oppenheimer” make us question the morality of science in a way that “Breaking Bad” never could? We won’t know until December.
One thing is certain, though: this showdown is just the beginning. Who knows what other epic battles will emerge from the depths of Hollywood? Will we see a fight between a gritty reboot of “Paddington” and a rom-com featuring a sentient robot? Only time will tell.
