Waves of pink-clad moviegoers passed under carboard palm trees on the frenzied first day of

After a feverish drumbeat propelled forward by a mushroom cloud of memes, the most anticipated day on the yearB次元官网网址檚 movie calendar finally arrived as B次元官网网址淏arbieB次元官网网址� and B次元官网网址淥ppenheimerB次元官网网址� B次元官网网址� two movie opposites brought together by cross-marketing fate B次元官网网址� landed in theaters.

B次元官网网址淚 think itB次元官网网址檚 the contrast,B次元官网网址� said Lucy Ruiz, 17, as she and a friend made their way into the first showing of B次元官网网址淏arbieB次元官网网址� on Thursday at the Alamo Drafthouse in Yonkers, New York. B次元官网网址淚f you want to do both in the same day, itB次元官网网址檚 like two sides of the same coin.B次元官网网址�

For Ruiz, the second half of her B次元官网网址淏arbenheimerB次元官网网址� would have to wait. B次元官网网址淢aybe next week,B次元官网网址� she said of seeing B次元官网网址淥ppenheimer.B次元官网网址�

But many are flocking to see both on opening weekend. The National Association of Theater Owners says some 200,000 moviegoers in North America have booked same-day tickets to each movie. The movie of the summer has turned out to be not or but a double feature.

B次元官网网址淚 donB次元官网网址檛 think IB次元官网网址檝e seen anything like this,B次元官网网址� says Michael OB次元官网网址橪eary, president of the theater association, who compared the phenomenon to a sold-out Taylor Swift concert tour. B次元官网网址淏ut while thatB次元官网网址檚 an amazing special event that captures the cultural attention, itB次元官网网址檚 not accessible to everybody the way these two movies are. This is a phenomenon open to everyone, regardless of where they live.B次元官网网址�

As of Friday, it was already clear B次元官网网址淏arbenheimerB次元官网网址� had morphed into the movie event of the year. The collision of and Christopher NolanB次元官网网址檚 three-hour the so-called father of the atomic bomb, wasnB次元官网网址檛 cannibalizing ticket sales for either but fueling excitement for the most jarring and color-clashing of movie weekends.

Studios forecasts had hovered around an $80 million opening weekend for B次元官网网址淏arbieB次元官网网址� and about $40 million for B次元官网网址淥ppenheimer.B次元官网网址� But itB次元官网网址檚 likely that both will greatly exceed those totals, and maybe even B次元官网网址� especially in the case of B次元官网网址淏arbieB次元官网网址� B次元官网网址� double them.

Warner Bros. said Friday that B次元官网网址淏arbieB次元官网网址� took in $22.5 million in Thursday previews, the best such tally of the year and a clear sign that the film will easily sail past $100 million for the weekend. Universal PicturesB次元官网网址� B次元官网网址淥ppenheimerB次元官网网址� notched $10.5 million in preshow ticket sales, a likewise strong start.

B次元官网网址淏arbenheimerB次元官网网址� is poised to be not just a viral trend but a box-office behemoth. For a movie industry that still hasnB次元官网网址檛 entirely recovered its pre-pandemic footing, itB次元官网网址檚 a much-needed jolt of moviegoing joy in a summer season where have Overall sales on the year are running about 20% below the box-office pace of 2019.

As much as the B次元官网网址淏arbenheimerB次元官网网址� fanfare has been driven by internet fascination, itB次元官网网址檚 in many ways an old-school movie weekend. Both movies are roundly acclaimed, original works by two of the best filmmakers working today. B次元官网网址淥ppenheimerB次元官网网址� has been hailed as a masterpiece; in my review, I called it The Associated PressB次元官网网址� Jocelyn Noveck called B次元官网网址淏arbieB次元官网网址� B次元官网网址渂rash, clever, idea-packed (if ultimately TOO packed) and

For some moviegoers, B次元官网网址淏arbenheimerB次元官网网址� is their first blush with the once common practice of catching a double feature. Jack Robinson, 17, had tickets to see both movies with friends Saturday. He planned to don a suit for B次元官网网址淥ppenheimerB次元官网网址� before changing into pink for B次元官网网址淏arbie.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淚 used to go to the movies a lot with my family and friends before corona happened. IB次元官网网址檓 very excited,B次元官网网址� said Robinson. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檒l be interesting to not leave the movie theater. Usually, itB次元官网网址檚 like bathroom and go home.B次元官网网址�

In recent years, theater owners have often bemoaned not having enough films in the marketplace as streaming made inroads and studios increasingly concentrated their release schedules on fewer but bigger films. But B次元官网网址淏arbenheimerB次元官网网址� points to the possible reward when a varied group of films collective rise the box-office tide.

B次元官网网址淏arbenheimerB次元官网网址� may have momentarily eclipsed last weekB次元官网网址檚 top film, which, despite Tom CruiseB次元官网网址檚 lobbying, is losing IMAX screens to B次元官网网址淥ppenheimerB次元官网网址� this weekend. But having three big movies in close proximity to one other, OB次元官网网址橪eary said, B次元官网网址渋s a good problem to have.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 certainly preferable to the alternative,B次元官网网址� said OB次元官网网址橪eary.

Parrot Analytics found that global demand for the casts of each film B次元官网网址� all of whom have been publicly enthusiastic about seeing their rival movie B次元官网网址� grew at virtually the same rate between late April and mid-July. The audience demographics are almost opposite one another. B次元官网网址淏arbieB次元官网网址� is appealing to a largely female and younger audience, while B次元官网网址淥ppenheimerB次元官网网址� is most popular with males and those over the age of 30, Parrot found.

Yet in a much-divided America, B次元官网网址淏arbenheimerB次元官网网址� has been the great pop-culture unifier of 2023. There is harmony in contrast.

B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 doing B次元官网网址楤arbieB次元官网网址� first and then B次元官网网址極ppenheimerB次元官网网址� because I know B次元官网网址極ppenheimerB次元官网网址� is going to be something I have to digest,B次元官网网址� says Jill Kupnick of Brooklyn.

Movie theaters are catering to the B次元官网网址淏arbenheimerB次元官网网址� phenomenon with double feature tickets and plenty of B次元官网网址淏arbieB次元官网网址�-themed promotions of candy and cocktails. But most are programming their own B次元官网网址淏arbenheimerB次元官网网址� days. Freelance writer Kelsey Weekman called it B次元官网网址渢he closest weB次元官网网址檝e come to

B次元官网网址淚 have a friend who has outfits picked out and knows how sheB次元官网网址檚 styling her hair,B次元官网网址� Krupnick says. B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檚 a level of play involved that you rarely see in more mainstream cinema. ItB次元官网网址檚 more common with Marvel movies or in the fantasy genre than something like this.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淏arbieB次元官网网址� and B次元官网网址淥ppenheimerB次元官网网址� have melded together so much that itB次元官网网址檚 become possible B次元官网网址� despite their vast differences B次元官网网址� to confuse one for the other. At the Yonkers Alamo Drafthouse, a sharply dressed man wearing a pink shirt beneath a blazer inquired about showtimes for B次元官网网址淥ppenheimer.B次元官网网址�

A clerk courteously answered and then, noticing the manB次元官网网址檚 attire, asked, B次元官网网址淒id you want times for B次元官网网址楤arbie,B次元官网网址� too?B次元官网网址�

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