On November 27 (in Poland November 29), “Wicked: Part One” was supposed to hit cinemas, a musical announced by Universal Studios with Ariana Grande in the leading role. The premiere of the film was moved forward five days after it turned out that at the same time, “Moana 2” would be released on the big screen, an animation, the first part of which became a Disney hit and earned about a billion dollars.
Will there be a repeat of “Barbenheimer”?
Both “Wicked: Part One” and “Moana 2” are aimed at a similar audience, so the producers of the first film may have had some reason to be concerned. The postponement of the musical’s premiere, on the other hand, has resulted in it being released in cinemas on the same weekend as “Gladiator 2” (the Polish premiere of the production is scheduled for November 22). This situation immediately brings to mind the clash from a year ago, when Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie” and Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer” hit cinemas.
The phenomenon worked on the principle of contrast, because the sensation among viewers was not caused by the premiere of two long-awaited productions, but by the fact that they were different not only in terms of genre, but also form and method of communication. While “Oppenheimer” simply dazzled with darkness and nostalgia, “Barbie” hid the hardships of reality under a layer of pink and glitter that almost poured out of the screen.
This unusual combination was even given the official name “Barbenheimer,” but in fact, it wasn’t the first time in film history that producers had used so-called counterprogramming, a marketing strategy that involves distributing a film to a specific demographic of viewers. A similar situation occurred in 2002, when the drama “About a Boy” and the sequel to the sci-fi hit “Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones” hit the big screen. The phenomenon was observed again in 2013, with the release of the crime comedy “Filth” and the romantic musical “Sunshine on Leith.”
Source: Gazeta
Bruce is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment . He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the industry.
