“Barbenheimer” sends a message to Hollywood of the need for originality

On the huge movie opening weekend “Barbie” and “Openheimer”, there were many winners. Greta Gerwig made history for female directors. Christopher Nolan marked a milestone in his career outside of Batman. The cinemas they were busier than at any time post-pandemic. The public was enthusiastic and went to improbable double functions. There was a lot of rosé and Matchbox Twenty.

But one of the most important triumphs of the cinematic monsoon of the so-called Barbenheimer it was originality. Here are two movies that aren’t sequels or reboots that took the box office to levels not seen in years. “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” became a meme because of their distinct worlds, each indelibly the work of those filmmakers.

“Barbie”, based on the Mattel doll, had some well-known intellectual property going for it. And the drama of J. Robert Oppenheimer and the atomic bomb comes from a pivotal moment in history. Nolan is also a brand.

The spirit of Hollywood’s biggest moment in years was fueled by a pair of movies that don’t have a roman numeral, Jedi or superhero in sight in their title. At the same time, some of the most trusted movie franchises, from Marvel to “Fast and the Furious” (“Fast and furious”), no longer lead the group.

The movie business may be changing. The public is showing a renewed taste for something fresh. “Barbenheimer” could, perhaps, be a turning point.

“I’ve always joked that if there’s one tornado movie that works, next year there will be three tornado movies. There is an internal prejudice to do what works”said Richard Gelfond, CEO of IMAX. “It’s my hope that these original films by leading filmmakers will convince studios to lean in that direction instead of doing what’s safe.”

“Numbers don’t lie”Gelfond added.

And the numbers are staggering. Total theatrical box office in the United States and Canada for the weekend topped $300 million, the fourth-highest ever. “Barbie” from Warner Bros. it grossed $162 million domestically, the best opening of the year. “Openheimer” from Universal added $82.4 million. Those results, coupled with rave reviews and months of viral drumbeats, nearly doubled expectations and wowed Hollywood.

In the wake of “Barbenheimer”, many hope that Hollywood will learn a lesson other than greenlighting more toy adaptations and the inevitable sequel to “Barbie”.

“Everyone came this weekend to see two ORIGINAL, smart, quality movies. It’s what the public wants.”wrote Clare Binns, CEO of independent distributor Picturehouse, on Twitter. “Reboots, superheroes, and movies with inflated budgets that often cover up a lack of ideas: it’s time to take stock. There are no algorithms this weekend.”

Of late, some of the biggest movie franchises have been showing signs of wear and tear.

“Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” (“Indiana Jones and the Dial of Fate”), which comes 42 years after “Raiders of the Lost Ark” (“Raiders of the Lost Ark”), has failed to catch on in theaters. It has grossed $335 million worldwide, on a budget more than double that of “Barbie,” which cost $145 million.

the tenth film of “Fast and the Furious”, “Fast X”, was a flop domestically, although international sales have been strong. In three days, “Barbie” surpassed its total gross in the United States and Canada, of 145.9 million dollars.

the seventh film of “Mission Impossible”, “Dead Reckoning Part One” (“Mission Impossible: Deadly Judgment, Part 1”), fell short of expectations before being surpassed by “Barbenheimer.” decreased a 64% in its second weekend.

Meanwhile, recent Marvel and DC movies have nowhere near the kinds of grosses that comic book adaptations once secured. “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” (“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3”) from Marvel, with $843 million worldwide, has been a huge sales success, but movies like “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” and “The Flash” They have fallen far short of expectations.

The nostalgia business isn’t going anywhere, and neither is Hollywood’s reliance on rehash and sequels. Among the top 10 movies last year by box office receipts, one movie was a series reboot (“The Batman”) and the rest were sequels.

But such over-reliance on more of the same is sure to wear thin one day, and this year’s best artists come from new places.

“The Super Mario Bros. Movie” (“Super Mario Bros.: The Movie”) (which has grossed $1.3 billion worldwide) isn’t anyone’s idea of ​​avant-garde cinema, but it does reflect Hollywood’s new embrace of the behemoth video game industry.

The second biggest hit of the year, “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” (“Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse”) with 375.2 million dollars in the United States, is one more film than “Spider-Man”but she and her predecessor“Into the Spider-Verse” (“Spider-Man: A New Universe”), are hell-bent on upending comic book convention and expanding the notion of who a superhero can be.

Originality may be riskier for studios, but the rewards can also be immense—just ask James Cameron. His reigning franchise, “Avatar,” hit $2.3 billion with “Avatar: The Way of Water” (“Avatar: The Shape of Water”), a futuristic sci-fi epic that essentially created its own intellectual property.

What else is working? Movies that appeal to historically underserved audiences. “Creed III”starring Michael B. Jordan, exceeded expectations in March, grossing more than $275 million worldwide on a $75 million budget. “Sound of Freedom”from religious distributor Angel Studios, made $124 million in three weeks, though its distributor is using a regular pay-advance buying program.

And, of course, horror is still the easiest money. “Insidious: The Red Door” (“Insidious: The Red Door”) is just the latest in a long and bloody series of low-budget, high-performance Blumhouse titles. It has earned $156 million worldwide after being made on a budget of $16 million.

It is expected that “Barbie” and “Openheimer” stay strong for weeks. They have reminded everyone of the limitless cultural power of movies. When the stars, the marketing force and the cinematic vision converge, anything can happen. And, of course, it doesn’t hurt when their names form a fun nickname.

It remains to be seen if the next series of releases: “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem” (“Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem”), Haunted Mansion (“Enchanted Mansion”), “Grand Tourism”, Strays (“Bitch Life”), Blue BeetleThey will manage to keep the spark alive. Meanwhile, the ongoing strike by actors and screenwriters has begun to wreak havoc on the fall movie lineup. Hollywood is still in a battle for its future.

Since the pandemic, studio and theater owners have tried to bring moviegoers back to theaters after the rush to streaming platforms, from Tom Cruise jumping off a cliff to $3 a day tickets. But it could be that what moviegoers crave most is the chance to see something new.

Mark Harris, author of The History of Hollywood “Pictures at a Revolution: Five Movies and the Birth of the New Hollywood”believes that a change in development “It has become undeniable.”

“In ‘Pictures at a Revolution’ I wrote that a big unexpected success is much more disruptive to the Hollywood establishment than a big flop”Harris wrote on Twitter. “That’s where we’re at: TWO surprise hits that suggest you’ll bring people back to the movies by giving them what they haven’t seen, not what they have.”

Source: AP