On July 21, two of the most anticipated movies of the year released in theaters simultaneously: “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer.” Many believed it would be a battle for the top slot, but instead history was made.

Where did the term “Barbenheimer” come from?

After the announcement of the films, thousands of people began creating memes that poked fun at how different the films were. These memes weren’t used to put down the other, but rather used to make light of them being polar opposites. 

Memes in favor of “Barbie” featured pictures of iconic groups asking for tickets to the film. One in particular featured Robert De Niro, Ray Liotta, and Joe Pecci in their “Goodfellas” attire with text reading “three tickets for Barbie please,” displaying the excitement everyone had for the movie.

Although, it wasn’t quite the same for “Oppenheimer.” Of course, many people were exhilarated by Christopher Nolan’s directing and writing, but the movie was going to be vastly different from “Barbie,” not giving much room for jokes, considering the tragic history displayed in the film. 

Though each film had its own set of followers, soon the memes and posts began to merge. People began joking that they’d be seeing both on the same day, thus truly beginning the phenomenon.

As more people began buying their tickets, the argument of which to see first was a hot topic. Some believed that seeing “Barbie” first would make it much more difficult to digest “Oppenheimer,” while others believed seeing “Oppenehimer” first would lead to difficulty in fully  enjoying the vibrancy of “Barbie.” 

Whichever route viewers picked, it fueled one of the most surprising events of the summer: breaking countless records in the process.

Breaking records

In just under three weeks, “Barbie” broke one billion dollars, which didn’t surprise many. The film not only grossed $49 million dollars in presales, but also $70 million on its opening day. Over the course of its opening weekend, it grew into $162 million, surpassing “Super Mario Bros’” $146 million previous record earlier this year.

“Barbie” had a much wider appeal to general audiences compared to “Oppenheimer,” which allowed these achievements to be grasped quickly. 

There was no way of knowing how quickly the film grew in numbers, but its advertising toward general audiences granted a wider opportunity for ticket sales. 

Christopher Nolan is no stranger to smashing the box office, having an abundance of films that have grossed incredible numbers. Nolan’s Batman trilogy made a combined $3 billion, and each received critical acclaim. “The Dark Knight Rises” is currently Nolan’s highest grossing film, with “Oppenheimer” quickly climbing the ladder. 

“Oppenheimer” is a bit behind “Barbie” in regards to international gross, but it is still sitting at an astounding $900 million. The film has now become the highest grossing biopic, recently surpassing “Bohemian Rhapsody.” 

This double feature was an incredible accident, and amplified each of the film’s debuts. The joint support between the film’s respective fans created an event that will be talked about for years to come, and has been made a pop culture phenomenon.