In 2023 the US and Canada have sold nearly 830 million tickets which, though better than 2020’s 220 million, is far behind 2018’s 1.3 billion. It is largely due to the ‘Barbie’ and ‘Oppenheimer’ marketing strategy which made both movies nonnegotiable must-sees.

‘Oppenheimer’ ended its opening weekend with $80 million in box-office sales, while ‘Barbie’ beat the brakes off every other movie’s opening weekend this year with $162 million. For reference, the second-best box-office release so far in 2023 is ‘Mario’ at $146 million.

These vastly different movies found success alongside each other due to a phenomenon called counterprogramming. Counterprogramming is when studios release a show or movie at the same time as a starkly different one in the hopes of attracting an audience. It is a useful marketing strategy and not new for the film industry. For example, ‘Mama Mia!’ and ‘The Dark Knight’ were released together in 2008 drawing millions to theaters.

‘Barbie’, directed by Greta Gerwig, is a pastel satire on gender roles. The movie follows Barbie and Ken leaving their woman-ran world for the “real world” to save Barbie from flat feet and cellulite. Upon arrival, Barbie learns of the inequalities women face in the “real world”, while Ken learns of the patriarchy (and horses). The movie lends thoughtful insight on gender roles, self-exploration and the inevitability of seeing all the world's imperfections.

In contrast, ‘Oppenheimer’, directed by Christopher Nolan, is a gritty tale of a scientist dealing with the moral implication of his deadly creation: the atomic bomb. It follows a chopped storyline of Oppenheimer’s life told in a meeting to consider his security clearance; alongside Lewis Strauss’ attempt to enter the presidential cabinet. The movie uses sound to immerse you in both the destruction caused by Oppenheimer’s work along with the severe panic attacks that he endured following.

Social media also played into the marketing success due to “meme-culture”. Pictures have been curated of Barbie shaking a flaming Oppenheimer’s hand, and a weekend-long discussion online – and at the red carpets – was had on which movie should be watched first during a double feature. They were put up against each other, not in competition but in a team. The goal was to convince people to see both and compare the two; thrusting itself into the societal conversation.

The counterprogramming was a success. An estimated 10% of Oppenheimer's $80 million box office release was from Barbie attendees who were faced with sold out movies and chose to watch the Father of the Atom Bomb instead. Now only one question remains: Which will you see first?