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Audiences have fully embraced the shared release date of Barbie and Oppenheimer, from creating movie posters and t-shirts to booking double features of the two movies, but this won’t be the first time that two films have gone head-to-head on the same opening day. Movies spanning vastly different genres and audience appeal have opened on the same day before, and can even be a marketing strategy for competing movie studios to draw in diverse audiences. It can be a sign of a health industry, where moviegoers have the power to choose what they’d like to see on the big screen.
The entire summer box office has led up to when Hollywood will finally find out whether Barbie or Oppenheimer will win 2023’s biggest box office battle. Barbie is promising excellent costume and set design, director Greta Gerwig’s signature humor, and even a musical number or two. Meanwhile, Oppenheimer is director Christopher Nolan’s first biopic, about the man who created the atomic bomb, featuring a nuclear explosion crafted with dazzling practical effects. Part of the joy of Barbie vs. Oppenheimer is how different the two films are, and there have been other iconic box office pairs that fit the same bill.
10 Blade Runner vs. The Thing
Blade Runner and The Thing faced off on June 25, 1982, when both movies were released at the summer box office. Today, science fiction fans revere both films as classics, but in 1982, neither of the films performed particularly well financially. Blade Runner grossed over $41 million worldwide, a little more than double the $19 million that The Thing grossed, making it the winner of the two films’ box office runs. Director Ridley Scott later released a director’s cut of the film, which changed things about Blade Runner‘s theatrical cut that Scott was likely happier with than the film audiences saw in 1982.
9 Batman vs. Honey, I Shrunk The Kids
Batman and Honey, I Shrunk The Kids were released on June 23, 1989. Tim Burton’s Batman was undoubtedly more successful – the film made $40 million in its first weekend, earning back its $35 million budget and then some. The caped crusader soared to $411 million worldwide, while Honey, I Shrunk The Kids made only $222 million. It’s difficult to name stiffer competition than one of the most popular comic book characters of all time, especially when Tim Burton’s Batman still holds up today in many ways. Burton was also fresh off the success of Beetlejuice, released one year prior in 1988, which no doubt helped drive ticket sales for Batman.
8 Jumanji vs. Heat
Jumanji and Heat were released on December 15, 1995. Both films featured acclaimed actors, with Robert Williams starring in Jumanji and Robert De Niro and Al Pacino starring in Heat. However, Jumanji won that particular weekend, grossing $262 million worldwide while Heat grossed $87 million. Similar to Barbie and Oppenheimer, the two films are very different – one is a fantasy adventure while the other is a crime drama. Heat would have achieved an incredible feat if it did beat Jumanji at the box office, since R-rated movies don’t tend to do as well financially as PG films like Jumanji.
7 Ghostbusters vs. Gremlins
It was ghosts versus gremlins at this box office battle, when Ghostbusters and Gremlins were released on June 8, 1984. Lucky for Ghostbusters, it seems no one fed Gremlins after midnight, as the former grossed over $296 million worldwide while the latter made just $153 million. Seeing these two films as a double feature would have been exciting for any horror fan, but the choice of which one to see first was difficult enough to make their opening weekends a much tighter competition. Gremlins grossed $12.5 million in its opening weekend, and Ghostbusters only just won out by earning $13.5 million.
Spaceballs and Full Metal Jacket were released on June 26, 1987. In true Barbenheimer spirit, the two films couldn’t be more different – Spaceballs is a parody movie of Star Wars while Full Metal Jacket is a war drama that takes place during The Vietnam War. While neither film was hugely successful, Full Metal Jacket grossed $46 million worldwide to beat out Spaceballs, which made just $38 million. Stanley Kubrick’s reputation and cult following from his previous films like 2001: A Space Odyssey, The Shining, and A Clockwork Orange may have helped propel Full Metal Jacket to be more successful than Spaceballs at the box office.
5 Toy Story vs. Casino
Toy Story and Casino were released on November 22, 1995. While Martin Scorsese’s film Casino marked the director’s return to the world of mobsters in his typical dramatic fashion, there was, unfortunately, no competition. Toy Story made $29 million in its opening weekend, more than double the $9 million that Casino grossed, and Buzz Lightyear went to infinity and beyond with a worldwide gross of $394 million. Casino was by no means a financial failure, grossing over $116 million, but the competition was too stiff. Even today, while Toy Story‘s animation may be outdated, it’s a classic Pixar film that created an entire franchise.
4 Django Unchained vs. Les Misérables
Django Unchained and Les Misérables were released on December 25, 2012. Given the choice between the two Christmas Day releases, audiences seemed to feel that Django Unchained was the better way to spend the holidays. Django Unchained grossed $30 million in its opening, while Les Misérables was not too far behind by grossing $27 million. However, the two films represent a unique situation where the film that made more money in its opening did not achieve the highest worldwide gross during its entire theatrical run. Django Unchained went on to gross $425 million worldwide, defeated by the $442 million that Les Misérables earned.
3 The Matrix vs. 10 Things I Hate About You
The Matrix and 10 Things I Hate About You were released on March 31, 1999. In a battle between romantic comedy and action, Neo truly was The One, as The Matrix earned more than eight times what 10 Things I Hate About You made. The Matrix grossed $467 million worldwide, while 10 Things I Hate About You made just $53 million. The two films are only comparable because of their shared release date – in every other aspect, The Matrix was the clear winner to become a box office success. The film became an instant classic for the genre, with fight choreography so good that some even argue that 2021’s Matrix Resurrections has worse action scenes than the original Matrix trilogy.
2 Elf vs. Love Actually
Elf and Love Actually were released on November 3, 2003. The films offered a wide variety of Christmas entertainment, from the comedy of Will Ferrell as Buddy the Elf to the romance and drama of Love Actually. Elf had a bigger opening weekend, grossing $32 million, while Love Actually earned just under $7 million. However, Love Actually was the rare example of an R-rated film going on to defeat a PG film like Elf at the box office – Love Actually grossed a total of $247 million worldwide, while Elf made just $227 million. The international box office carried Love Actually to success, accounting for more than half of its total gross earnings.
1 The Dark Knight vs. Mamma Mia
The Dark Knight and Mamma Mia! were released on July 18, 2008. This pair demonstrates that Christopher Nolan has already fought the Barbie vs. Oppenheimer Battle, and 15 years ago, Nolan was the winner. During its entire theatrical run, The Dark Knight made over $1 billion worldwide, though Mamma Mia! still achieved its own financial success by grossing $694 million. In 2008, Nolan had the advantage of releasing a film that featured an established IP, an advantage that Gerwig now has going into the opening weekend of Barbie and Oppenheimer. Similar to this 2008 battle, though, Hollywood may find that both films still achieve success in their respective markets, especially with the number of double features audiences have planned, so they don’t have to choose between two great filmmakers.
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