Published 17·11·24
LONDON — As if to signify the Barbenheimer phenomenon coming full circle, we're now looking to be able to watch a literal mashup of the Barbie (Greta Gerwig, 2023) and Oppenheimer (Christopher Nolan, 2023) movies.
Featuring a version of Oppenheimer placed into chronological order, the acclaimed three-hour film has been shortened somewhat, ending at the logical stopping point; the famous conversation the titular character has with Albert Einstein.
This, presumably, skillfully interspersed with scenes from Barbie that we hope will have some poetic relevance to the Nolan-directed scene prior, and the one following.
Let's cast our minds back to July 21st, when theatres were graced with an unlikely double-bill: a pink-infused Barbie doll Hollywood extravaganza, followed up by the sombre and harrowing biopic of the destroyer of worlds, J. Robert Oppenheimer.
Followed up again, as executive producer and Barbie actor Margot Robbie encouraged fans, by a "Barbie chaser".
The eponymous procrastinator, our very own Chief Editor, attended a version of the double-premiere at his local cinema, and remembers seeing many of the theatregoers clad in either pink, or dark and neutral tones. Fitting, as the disparity between the two films was palpably surreal.
What a seemingly inscrutible task it must be, then, to task onesself with weaving the two highly-distinct films together.
With an estimated final runtime of 3hrs 54mins, the edit is expected to be watchable in Winter 2024, when most prospective viewers have hopefully forgotten the majority of both movies and a rewatch is back on the cards.
We can scarcely wait.