This weekend will go down in history as one of the biggest box office weekends. After a few difficult years for cinema, the big screen is now alive more than ever, and we have two films to thank for that. On the one hand, there’s Oppenheimer by Christopher Nolan, which is, according to our Dom Fisher ‘an immensely captivating detonation of talent‘, while on the other, we have Greta Gerwig’s latest Barbie or, according to GVN ‘an audacious, joyous celebration of self’. While each film certainly would have been successful, the same-day release probably added millions to the box office sale.
It became clear early on that this wasn’t “Barbie vs Oppenheimer” but was and still is “Barbie AND Oppenheimer”. Film fans worldwide chose to see both films on the same day to make the “Barbenheimer” experience complete! But many seem to forget that Barbie and Oppenheimer aren’t the only two movies in cinema history that got the same-date release. No, there are many OG “Barbenheimers”, and here we have ten film pairs (some rather unusual) of movies released on the same day.
The Dark Knight and Mamma Mia!
Release date: 18th of July 2008
This is probably the pair that’s closest to “Barbenheimer”. Not only because Nolan directed one of the movies but also the difference in style, tone and vibe. Just like Oppenheimer, The Dark Knight is exhilarating, filled with dark cinematography and a bombastic but brilliant score, and just like Barbie, Mamma Mia! is full of fun, entertainment and vibrancy. Yes, if you went to the cinema on the 18th of July, we’re sure the queues at the confection stands looked much like the ones you saw this weekend. Despite Nolan ‘losing’ to Gerwig this weekend, as Oppenheimer made $180.4 million worldwide (as of 24th of July) while Barbie cashed in $356.3 million worldwide, he won from director Phyllida Lloyd. The Dark Knight grossed a staggering 1 billion dollars at the box office, while Mamma Mia! got $694.4 million in tickets sale.
Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows and Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol
Release date: 16th of December 2011
As proven this weekend, it’s all about anticipation, big names in the film industry and creating iconic characters, whether or not they’re based on a real-life person. That’s precisely what directors Guy Ritchie and Brad Bird respectively did with Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows and Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol. Ritchie’s feature is about the world-removed detective Sherlock Holmes whose stories gained an immense fanbase, while Ethan Hunt also has countless fans worldwide thanks to his thrilling adventures. Both movies provided the fans with many unforgettable performances (Robert Downey Jr did a great job as Holmes, while Cruise is terrific as Hunt), fast-paced action and a lot of entertainment. Therefore it’s no wonder the movies respectively made $543.8 million and $694.7 million at the box office.
Grease and Jaws 2
Release date: 16th of June 1978
While Grease and Jaws 2 were released on the same day, they offered the audience a different movie experience. Randal Kleiser’s film oozes romance, rock ‘n roll and addictive songs, while Jeannot Szwarc’s feature is, just like its predecessor, a thrilling movie about a shark going on a murderous rampage. Grease made people dance on their seats, resulting in a box office of $396.2 million worldwide, while Jaws 2 had people sitting on the edge of their seats, which was good for $187.8 million.
Die Hard and A Fish Called Wanda
Release date: 15th of July 1988
15th of July 1988 was probably a difficult day for the filmgoers. Having to choose which iconic film they would see first. In the left-hand corner, you had Die Hard by director John McTiernan. Whether or not it’s a Christmas movie, it’s up to you, but it was the film that got the ball rolling for Bruce Willis. From then on, his name was written all over action films. In the right-hand corner, A Fish Called Wanda is another classic in movie history. Thanks to director Charles Crichton, it became one of the most well-renowned movies of the century, resulting in the film winning the Oscar for Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Kevin Kline). While A Fish Called Wanda swam away with $62.4 million, Die Hard made $141.6 million.
Toy Story and Casino
Release date: 22nd of November 1995
We don’t know what directors John Lasseter (Toy Story) and Martin Scorsese (Casino) were thinking when they released both films on the same day, but it paid off. Regarding popularity, Toy Story took the crown as highly successful sequels followed this movie in 1999, 2010 and 2019. But that was probably the last thing that was on Scorsese’s mind in 1995. He, De Niro and Pesci again showed the audience why they were and still are masters in the film industry, and Sharon Stone even got nominated in the “Best Actress in a Leading Role” category of the 1996 Academy Awards.
Like Barbie and Oppenheimer, Toy Story and Casino target different audiences. The first is an uplifting feature about toys, mostly for kids, while the second is much darker, serious, and for ‘adults only’. Despite its big names and more mature audience, Casino came second in this race with a gross of $116.1 million worldwide. Toy Story was the first fully computer-animated movie, resulting in immense interest and a box office of $394.4 million.
The Princess Diaries and Rush Hour 2
Release date: 3rd of August 2001
Some movies unexpectedly become commercial successes. Who thought at the beginning of the year that a film about a doll would triumph over Mission: Impossible and Christopher Nolan? Probably not many, but as we all know, the box office proved the sceptics wrong. This also happened on the 3rd of August 2001, when The Princess Diaries was released. Just like Barbie, the movie by Garry Marshall became an instant hit, establishing Anna Hathaway as an actress who can portray an excellent range of roles. On top of that, it also gained $165.3 million worldwide.
If a movie about a teenager discovering she’s actually from royalty wasn’t your thing back then, you didn’t have to worry. On that same day, Rush Hour 2 found its way to the big screen. The great chemistry between Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan and their comedic timing made people fall in love with the franchise, resulting in almost $347.3 million gross worldwide.
Elf and Love Actually
Release date: 7th of November 2003
It’s only July, but surely it’s acceptable to start thinking about Christmas films already, no? Especially when you have to watch two iconic movies. Elf or Love Actually, which one would you go for… first? It doesn’t matter because both films are the perfect pick-me-up features during the cold days. If you want to see Will Ferrell’s comedic gift and Jon Favreau’s directional talent, you should put Elf high on your Christmas watchlist. If different kinds of love, heartwarming messages and a top-notch cast (including Alan Rickman, Emma Thompson, and Hugh Grant) are what you want for Christmas, then Love Actually is your go-to film. Both films became highly acclaimed, resulting in a box office of $227.3 million worldwide for Elf and $247.9 million for Richard Curtis’ Love Actually.
Ghostbusters and Gremlins
Release date: 8th of June 1984
If it’s too early to watch a Christmas movie, you better skip this because Gremlins is another popular film during that festive period. Therefore it’s a bit of a mystery why it hit cinemas in the middle of the summer of 1984. Even more so because it had to fight against Ghostbusters for first place at the box office as both films hit US cinemas on the 8th of June. Despite Gremlins “only” making $153.8 million compared to the $296.5 million for Ghostbusters, both fantasy movies became fan favourites. Thanks to the impressive stories, thrilling cinematography, and buckets full of fun, Ghostbusters and Gremlins left their mark on the film industry.
10 Things I Hate About You and The Matrix
Release date: 31st of March 1999
What do 10 Things I Hate About You and The Matrix have in common? Apart from their release date and top-notch upcoming acting talent, not so much. The first movie is a delightful rom-com about teenagers dealing with the usual problems of falling in love, breaking hearts and having fights with friends. While Gil Junger’s modernisation of Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew wasn’t a massive success at the box office, as it “only” made $53.4 million, it still became a cult classic. The movie was also the beginning of Heath Ledger’s stunning but way-too-short acting career.
Even if it tried, The Matrix couldn’t have been further from 10 Things I Hate About You. The epic sci-fi/action movie by Lana and Lilly Wachowski follows computer programmer Neo who learns the truth about the universe he’s been living in. He’s been offered a red pull or blue pill (you might not have seen the film, but you’ve undoubtedly seen the memes) to learn more about what he just discovered or forget all of it. This movie started a popular franchise and an immense career for Keanu Reeves—no wonder the Academy-award-winning film grossed $467.2 million so far.
She’s The Man and V for Vendetta
Release date: 17th of March 2006
‘Remember Remember The Fifth of November’. Pretty sure that director James McTeigue wants to remember the 17th of March instead because that’s the day he released V for Vendetta in 2006. The movie about V, a vigilante who protests against the police by using terrorist tactics, made a very well-deserved $134.6 million and showed us excellent performances by Hugo Weaving and Natalie Portman. There’s also a V in She’s The Man, as in Viola Hastings, a talented football player who wants to play for the national team but faces some gender barriers. This modern adaptation of William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night scored some points as it grossed $57.1 million worldwide so far.
Even more movies released on the same day!
Movie distributors love to release high-profile movies on the same day, as there are many other examples we could have included in this list. Think of The Hot Chicks and Star Trek: Nemesis (what a combination, right?), which came to the big screen on the 13th of December 2002, and the ‘A Cinderella Story and I, Robot‘ pair that hits US cinemas on the 16th of July 2004. We also can’t forget about Jumanji and Heat, released on the 15th of December. Whether or not having a different target audience is the key to a successful release day if you have to compete with another blockbuster, we don’t know. However, what we do know is that the immense success of “Barbenheimer” will undoubtedly create more film pairs like these ones.
Subtitle translator by day. Film journalist by night.
