‘Barbie,’ ‘Oppenheimer’ opening weekend could be huge

This weekend’s box office hit is all about atomic bombs and blonde bombshells.

Usually when two major films from different studios are in theaters at the same time, the competition is on ticket sales. This is not the case with Warner Bros. “Barbie” and universal Oppenheimer.

Dubbed “Barbenheimer”, the double version is more of a hit with many moviegoers Plan a trip with a double advantage to cinemas

“Ever since we learned that these two films were opening the same weekend, it was an immediate pop culture phenomenon,” said Eric Davis, managing director of Fandango. “It was the most anticipated weekend of the year.”

The two films couldn’t be more different, with Barbie centered on the icon Mattel doll navigating life outside of Barbie Land, and “Oppenheimer” documenting how the father of the atomic bomb built the first nuclear weapons.

However, audiences have gravitated towards both titles. This thriller is much needed for the domestic box office after a string of recently released big budget films fell short of expectations.

Heading into the weekend, “Barbie” is expected to take in at least $90 million in domestic ticket sales, with some box office analysts predicting the film could reach $140 million. Meanwhile, Oppenheimer appears destined to be netted between $40 million and $60 million.

Together, the two films could bring in $200 million on their opening frame. With the additional ticket sales of “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One,” “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse,” and “Sound of Freedom,” it may be the highest-grossing weekend of the year yet.

Major movie chains have indicated strong ticket sales for both films this weekend and additional screenings have been added to meet demand.

About 40,000 members of the AMC Theater loyalty program purchased tickets to see Barbie and Oppenheimer on the same day, and the National Association of Theater Owners projected that more than 200,000 moviegoers would attend same-day viewings of the two films.

“The anticipation for the weekend was very high for both Barbie and Oppenheimer,” said Jeffrey Kaufman, chief content officer for Malco Theatres. “The media coverage and public embrace of the #Barbenheimer hashtag shows awareness and excitement for both releases.”

And a lot of the cuteness comes from famous filmmakers.

Greta Gerwig (“Lady Bird,” “Little Women”) has a few films under her belt as a director, but she’s already cemented her place among Hollywood’s celebrated auteurs. Her films focus on women and feature witty dialogue and a strong emotional core. Gerwig is one of only seven women to be nominated for Best Director at the Academy Awards.

Viewers got their first taste of Gerwig’s iconic Barbie doll back in December with a minute-long teaser trailer spoofing Stanley Kubrick’s “2001: A Space Odyssey.” This will not be your typical Barbie movie.

Futures trailers showcased the bright-pink Barbie Land that kids and kids have known for over 60 years and revealed the movie’s plot. After an existential crisis, Barbie (Margot Robbie) and Ken (Ryan Gosling) head to the real world to get some answers.

Then there’s Christopher Nolan, who has developed an ardent fan base from films like “Memento,” “The Prestige,” “The Dark Knight,” “Interstellar,” and “Dunkirk.”

Nolan’s films are known for their complex narratives, explosive sound, and images made for the biggest screens.

“Oppenheimer” is a three-hour action that focuses on physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy) as he works tirelessly to develop the first atomic bomb during World War Two.

“Barbie emerged as a frontrunner for the #1 spot over the weekend with its massive brand appeal courting an audience of underserved women, but Oppenheimer should have a long fuse to burn like Christopher Nolan films usually do,” said Sean Robbins. Senior Analyst at BoxOffice.com

Oppenheimer will get a boost from high-quality ticket sales, as audiences choose to see the film on the biggest screen possible. Nolan’s flick is expected to control about 70% of all premium shows, which include screens like IMAX, Dolby Cinema and ScreenX, this weekend. These tickets average about $17 a piece, according to data from EntTelligence.

General admission tickets, which include premium and standard digital offerings, are expected to average about $14 each.

For Barbie, the general average ticket price is slightly lower, at around $12, as the movie will be shown in fewer premium halls over the weekend.

These two films are hitting theaters after a slew of adult-targeted films underperformed at the box office.

“Unfortunately, the last three films — Flash, Indiana Jones, and Mission: Impossible — have all fallen short of expectations, and underperformed,” Kaufman said. “This trend combined with the news cycle’s coverage of union strikes and the loss of cast members to halted promotion may dampen things out.”

Barbie and Oppenheimer probably won’t be hurt by the lack of publicity. Marketing campaigns for the two films were in full swing just before the strike, and both actors were able to participate, at least in part, in the film’s premieres.

Viral videos of the “Barbie” actors dressed in pink to promote the movie and discuss their movie “Kinnergy” have been circulating on social media for weeks along with links to brightly colored merchandise and Airbnb dream house.

The marketing for “Oppenheimer” was more muted in comparison to the cast and director Nolan touting his re-creation of a nuclear explosion without the use of CGI and the importance of exploring Oppenheimer’s life.

“The show is going through a very delicate balancing act in terms of programming two incredibly high-profile films with Barbie and Oppenheimer,” said Steve Buck of movie data company EntTelligence. “The Winner is Simple – Moviegoers”.

Disclosure: Comcast is the parent company of NBCUniversal and CNBC.