Barbenhimer – the new movie that spoofs both Barbie and Oppenheimer – will be filled with “dark humor,” promises producer Charles Band.
This summer, Barbeneheimer fever gripped cinema-goers all over the globe. Barbie and Oppenheimer releasing on the same day meant viewers had a choice to make. But millions decided to make a day/night of it and double-bill the wildly contrasting movies.
Fans dressed up and attended screenings in groups, and the result was the Barbenheimer phenomenon that helped turn Barbie into the most successful movie of the year, while also assisting Oppenheimer to near the billion-dollar mark.
Now, the titles and storylines are being combined for a movie that’s actually called Barbenheimer.
Barbenheimer plot revealed: Barbie/Oppenheimer spoof promises “dark humor”
The film is being shopped at the American Film Market, and The Hollywood Reporter has seen the official synopsis, which is as follows: “Barbenheimer follows Dr. Bambi J Barbenheimer, a brilliant scientist doll living in Dolltopia, a world of endless summers and beach parties, and her boyfriend Twink Dollman. So far, so Greta Gerwig’s neon-colored billion-dollar megahit.
“Turning Nolan’s distinctly less pink dial up a notch, our Dr. Barbenheimer, incensed by the brutal treatment the dolls receive at the hands of human children, ventures into the real world where she experiences humanity at its worst and, naturally, decides to build a giant nuclear bomb to take it all out.”
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The synopsis ends: “They got great looks and a super attitude! Oh, and now they’ve got the bomb.”
B-movie legend Charles Band is producing Barbenheimer, and said of the proposed project: “It’s 100 percent true. But it’s also an opportunity to have fun with the bizarre coupling of these two movies and the combination of Barbie’s vibe and the darkness of Oppenheimer. You mix that together and you have such an opportunity for dark humor.”
As for tone, Band says: “It’s so silly. But it seems like every other feature is dark and depressing, and it’s like, God, we need a little humor going into 2024.”
The film will have a musical element, and will be budgeted at less than $1 million. But there will be tie-in merchandise, with Band revealing that his toy division has been working on a doll, and stating: “Let’s just say she’ll definitely have her arms around a big atomic bomb.”
Barbenheimer will shoot and release in 2024. For more articles about the actual Barbie movie, head here. While for Oppenheimer updates, click here.
