With Universal's Oppenheimer and Warner Bros.' Barbie both set to hit theaters on July 21, "Barbenheimer" has blown up (no pun) the internet.
The online phenomenon arose from the fact that Christopher Nolan's bleak historical biopic and Grata Gerwig's fantasy comedy are so diametrically opposed in tone, with many cinemagoers planning opening weekend double-features.
It's all in good-natured fun, but a new report has now suggested that Nolan may not have seen the funny side.
Here is an excerpt from Insider's piece, in which Jason Guerrasio asks Nolan if she's seen Barbie yet.
"No," he said. It was a curt response with a hint of disinterest.
I told him my theory that "Barbenheimer" was born through his complex history with Warner Bros.
"Now, you must know I'm not going to answer that question," he said with a chuckle, "only to say those who care about the theatrical experience, we've been longing for a crowded marketplace with a lot of different movies. That's what theaters have now, and those of us who care about movies are thrilled about that."
A diplomatic response, but several insiders - who don't wish to be named - believe the filmmaker was not quite so easy going behind the scenes.
Nolan was said to be upset that Warner Bros. scheduled Barbie for release on the same weekend as his film, especially since mid-July has come to be referred to as "Nolan's weekend" over the years. Apparently, there was even an attempt by the movie-theater community to convince Warner Bros. to move the release date of Barbie, but to no avail.
Some outlets have disputed this report, so we wouldn't take it as gospel, but it's not too difficult to imagine Nolan taking issue with Warner Bros. scheduling a big summer release to debut on the same day as his latest film - especially when the director's strained relationship with the studio is taken into account.