Barbie receives rapturous first reviews as Oppenheimer cast discuss the atomic bomb – movie news

Hollywood feels more like the centre of the universe than ever this week as the release of the two biggest films of the year coincides with a historic actors’ strike.

Anticipation for Greta Gerwig’s Barbie and Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer has reached a fever pitch ahead of their release in unison on 21 July.

Axios has reported this week that movie theatres in Texas, Washington DC and Atlanta have already sold out tickets for the Margot Robbie-led feature about the famous toy doll.

Meanwhile, Oppenheimer star Matt Damon got personal about his decision to join the movie, which came after he promised his wife he’d take an acting break in couples’ therapy.

Oppenheimer’s London premiere was cut short, however, as the cast left early in preparation for the SAG-AFTRA strike order, which was initiated hours after the premiere.

The actors’ union joined the Writers Guild of America, which has been on strike since early May, over demands for increases in base pay and residuals in the streaming TV era, plus assurances that their work will not be replaced by AI.

Key points

• SAG actors’ strike – latest

• Matt Damon told his wife he’d take a break from acting unless ‘Chris Nolan called’

• Michael Cera says he became ‘paranoid and weird’ after Superbad fame

• Christopher Nolan on why he thinks Quentin Tarantino is retiring from filmmaking

The Independent gives ‘Oppenheimer’ four stars

17:17 , Tom Murray

In her four-star review, The Independent’s film critic Clarisse Loughrey called Oppenheimer Christopher Nolan’s “best and most revealing work”.

“The film is constructed in a way that allows its audience to comprehend, on an intellectual level, the profound power and chaos that led its central character to see himself as the ‘Death, destroyer of worlds’ of Hindu scripture,” she writes.

However, Loughrey adds that Oppenheimer perhaps fails to burrow deeply “into that profound, emotional space that can be both overwhelming and difficult to verbalise. It’s a little too conscious of itself, and the ways cinema crafts its own reality.”

Read the review in full here:

Should you see Barbie or Oppenheimer first?

17:00 , Inga Parkel

Now that Barbenheimer is officially upon us, have you purchased your tickets? If you haven’t and are still debating whether you should see Barbie or Oppenheimer first, here are a few things to consider.

Barbie’s runtime is 1 hour 54 minutes, and Oppenheimer is a whopping 3 hours. I’m not sure about your theatres, but I had a difficult time finding a place that offered a long enough time gap in between if I were to begin with Oppenheimer.

So, I opted for Barbie first, that way I would only have to sit around the cinema for an hour tops, before finishing with Christopher Nolan’s drama.

Although, if time is not an issue, I’ve heard a lot of people argue for why you should see Oppenheimer first – so you can end your day on a happy note with Barbie.

Ted Cruz keeps attacking the Barbie movie as ‘Chinese communist propaganda’ even though he hasn’t seen it

16:30 , Inga Parkel

Ted Cruz once again accused the upcoming Barbie movie of pushing “Chinese communist propaganda” – even though he hasn’t seen it.

For weeks, the Texas senator has zeroed in on a scene from a trailer showing a world map of a contested area in the South China Sea.

Read more:

Ted Cruz keeps attacking the Barbie movie as ‘Chinese communist propaganda’ even though he hasn’t seen it

Florida Republican Matt Gaetz’s wife also voiced concerns about the film

Google’s getting the Barbie treatment

16:30 , Inga Parkel

Try searching “Barbie” on Google, and you’ll get a fun, pink-tastic surprise!

What’s your favourite song from the ‘Barbie’ soundtrack?

16:00 , Inga Parkel

Barbie is the movie that just keeps on giving. Not only has the film brought the nostalgia of the popular Mattel doll to life, but it’s also arrived with an all-star soundtrack, featuring some of the biggest current names in music including Dua Lipa, Ice Spice and Haim.

My personal favourite is its lead single “Dance the Night Away”. What’s yours?

Barbie unveils ‘iconic’ movie soundtrack featuring Dua Lipa, Ice Spice and more

‘Barbie: The Album’ is out now

Barbie expected to blow roof off box office, with Oppenheimer trailing behind

15:30 , Inga Parkel

Barbie’s finally here, and with all the buzz leading up to its debut, the box office estimates are all over the place.

It’s expected to make between $95m (£72m) to $110m (£84m) from its opening weekend in 4,200 North American theatres, according to Variety.

However, Warner Bros is playing it safe and estimating a $75m (£57m) start. Meanwhile, there are some estimates out there that are projecting it could make as much as $140m (£107m).

Although, whatever its weekend takings are, they’re still expected to be higher than Oppenheimer’s, which is hoping to earn $50m (£38m) from its opening weekend in 3,600 cinemas.

Oppenheimer star Cillian Murphy reacts to Danny Boyle’s 28 Days Later sequel update

15:00 , Nicole Vassell

Oppenheimer star Cillian Murphy has reacted to the news that a new 28 Days Later sequel appears to be happening.

In June, the film’s director Danny Boyle and writer Alex Garland revealed plans to make a follow-up to their hit 2000 horror film 28 Days Later, in which Murphy played the lead role of Jim.

During a conversation with The Independent’s Jacob Stolworthy, the actor said news of the sequel was “great to hear”, and responded to a question of whether he’d like to be involved.

Full story below:

Cillian Murphy addresses Danny Boyle’s 28 Days Later sequel update

Barbie movie merchandise: From Barbie dolls to a Zara collaboration

14:30 , Nicole Vassell

Outside of buying a ticket to watch the movie, there are plenty of ways for us real-life folk to be a part of the Barbie fun.

From branded shoes, t-shirts and, of course, the dolls themselves, here is a guide to the merchandise on-sale to join in the Barbie (and Ken) party.

Barbie movie merchandise: From Barbie dolls to a Zara collaboration

Christopher Nolan on why he cast his daughter as girl who gets blown up in nuclear explosion

14:00 , Nicole Vassell

One could imagine that a parent would do anything not to have a visual image of their child in pain.

Yet, Oppenheimer director Christopher Nolan has made the shocking decision to cast his eldest daughter, 22-year-old Flora, as a burn victim in the film.

Flora plays a nameless young woman whose flesh is flayed from her face in a nuclear explosion, in a sequence that happens within Oppenheimer’s (Cillian Murphy) mind.

Of his daughter’s involvement, Nolan said it was “wonderful to just have her sort of roll with it”.

Full story below:

Christopher Nolan on why he cast daughter in Oppenheimer as girl who gets blown up

Watch: Oppenheimer trailer

13:30 , Peony Hirwani

ICYMI: Barbie debuts strong on Rotten Tomatoes with 89 per cent score

13:16 , Nicole Vassell

Reviews for Barbie are looking immensely positive ahead of its cinematic release on Friday.

In fact, the film has an impressive score of 89 per cent on the review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes – a significant indicator of critical approval.

Peony Hirwani has the full story below:

Barbie’s impressive Rotten Tomatoes score revealed

Watch: Barbie trailer

12:30 , Peony Hirwani

A new Oppenheimer featurette about Ludwig Göransson’s score has been released

12:00 , Peony Hirwani

Christopher Nolan recalls day when he asked Cillian Murphy to play lead in Oppenheimer

11:30 , Peony Hirwani

ICYMI: The day Christopher Nolan called Cillian Murphy about his new film, Oppenheimer, Murphy hung up the phone in disbelief.

The Irish actor, though a regular presence in Nolan films going back almost two decades, had always been a supporting player. This time, Nolan wanted him to lead.

“He’s so understated and self-deprecating and, in his very English manner, just said, ‘Listen, I’ve written this script, it’s about Oppenheimer. I’d like you to be my Oppenheimer,’” Murphy, 46, told The Associated Press earlier this year. “It was a great day.”

Recalling the moment, Murphy replied: “I have always said publicly and privately, to Chris, that if I’m available and you want me to be in a movie, I’m there. I don’t really care about the size of the part. But deep down, secretly, I was desperate to play a lead for him.”

11:00 , Peony Hirwani

Did you know Billie Eilish announced a new song for Barbie movie’s soundtrack?

Read all about it below.

Billie Eilish announces new song for Barbie movie’s ‘iconic’ soundtrack

ICYMI: Barbie premiere: All the best London pink carpet looks from Margot Robbie to Amelia Dimoldenberg

10:30 , Peony Hirwani

Barbie premiere: All the best pink carpet looks as Margot Robbie film shows in London

The story behind Barbenheimer, the summer’s most online movie showdown

10:00 , Peony Hirwani

The very online showdown between Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie” and Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer” all started with a date: 21 July.

It’s not uncommon for studios to counterprogram films in different genres on a big weekend, but the stark differences between an intense, serious-minded picture about the man who oversaw the development of the atomic bomb and a lighthearted, candy-coloured anthropomorphising of a childhood doll quickly became the stuff of viral fodder.

Read more:

The story behind Barbenheimer, the summer’s most online movie showdown

Barbie review: A near-miraculous achievement from Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie

09:30 , Peony Hirwani

“While it’s impossible for any studio film to be truly subversive, this Mattel-approved comedy gets away with far more than you’d think was possible,” writes The Independent’s Clarrise Loughrey.

Barbie is a near-miraculous achievement – review

Oppenheimer branded ‘most important film of this century’ by Taxi Driver’s Paul Schrader

09:00 , Peony Hirwani

Writer and filmmaker Paul Schrader has described Oppenheimer as the “best” and “most important film of this century”.

Read more:

Oppenheimer branded ‘most important film of this century’ by Paul Schrader

‘Barbie’ debuts strong on Rotten Tomatoes with 89% score

08:30 , Peony Hirwani

Greta Gerwig’s Barbie has scored an impressive 89 per cent on Rotten Tomatoes.

The film which debuted on the review-aggregation website on Wednesday (19 July) stars Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling as Barbie and Ken.

Read more:

Barbie’s impressive Rotten Tomatoes score revealed

How is the SAG-AFTRA strike affecting Barbie and Oppenheimer?

08:00 , Peony Hirwani

Following its strike announcement, SAG sent a memo to all of its members forbidding them from promoting any forthcoming projects.

This means that publicity events, including interviews, have ground to a halt for the two blockbusters.

“I very much am in support of all the unions and I’m a part of SAG, so I would absolutely stand by them,” Robbie said at Barbie’s London premiere.

Christopher Nolan offered a similar message of support when his cast walked out of the London premiere.

Fortunately, publicity for these films has been so omnipresent that the last few days is likely to have little effect on their box office performance. Worse affected will be films coming in August, which include DC Comics’ Blue Beetle (out 18 August) and Denzel Washington’s Equalizer 3 (1 September).

Read more about how the strikes will affect you here:

Why Hollywood writers and actors are going on strike

ICYMI: Barbie cast turn London Eye pink to celebrate film premiere

07:30 , Peony Hirwani

Barbie cast turn London Eye pink to celebrate film premiere

Greta Gerwig names two A-list cameos she failed to secure for ‘Barbie'

06:54 , Tom Murray

Barbie stars Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling as the main doll and her partner Ken.

Emma Mackey, Issa Rae, and Hari Nef are among the actors playing other Barbies, while Simu Liu, Ncuti Gatwa and Kingsley Ben-Adir are among the other Kens.

However, in a new interview, Gerwig revealed that two of her previous collaborators, Saoirse Ronan and Timothée Chalamet slipped through the net.

Read about what she had to say here:

Barbie director Greta Gerwig names two A-list cameos she failed to secure for film

Barbie movie merchandise: From Barbie dolls to a Zara collaboration

06:30 , Peony Hirwani

Whether you have always loved Barbie dolls or are obsessed with the colour pink, there is something for everyone who wants to be a Barbie girl or channel their ‘kenergy’ this season.

If you’re eager to add some Barbie pink to your wardrobe and home, we’ve got the best Barbiecore has to offer below, ready for you to peruse.

Barbie movie merchandise: From Barbie dolls to a Zara collaboration

What Cillian Murphy has said about the Barbie vs Oppenheimer rivalry

05:56 , Tom Murray

As Barbie and Oppenheimer are released on the same day, much has been made about a supposed rivalry between the two films.

However, cast members on both sides have done their best to quash any rumours of beef.

“I mean, I’ll be going to see Barbie, 100 per cent. I can’t wait to see it,” Oppenheimer star Cillian Murphy said in a recent interview.

“I think it’s just great for the industry and for audiences, that we have two amazing films by amazing filmmakers coming out on the same day. You can spend the whole day in the cinema – what’s better than that?”

Read more:

Cillian Murphy weighs in on Barbie vs Oppenheimer rivalry

TikTokers are showing off pink outfits they’re going to wear to watch Barbie movie

05:30 , Peony Hirwani

In preparation for the upcoming premiere on 21 July, eager TikTokers are manifesting the perfect, pink-themed party by crafting “Barbiecore” looks that they plan on wearing in theatres.

While some are opting to thrift or buy new clothes, others are pulling pieces they already own to reimagine themselves as “country Barbie,” “roller skating Barbie,” or “cottage Barbie.”

Read more:

TikTokers are showing off pink outfits they’re going to wear to watch Barbie movie

Cillian Murphy says it ‘took a toll’ playing scientist J Robert Oppenheimer

05:03 , Peony Hirwani

Cillian Murphy said it “took a toll” to play J Robert Oppenheimer in Christopher Nolan’s new film about the physicist who co-created the first atomic bomb.

The Irish actor, 47, added that the “moral dilemmas and paradoxes” his character grapples with throughout the film are “huge”.

“It does take a toll, but in a brilliant way, it was the biggest, most exhilarating challenge,” Murphy said, ahead of Oppenheimer’s release.

The film recounts the famous physicists’ fears that tests for the first atomic bomb could have destroyed the planet.

Cillian Murphy says it ‘took a toll’ playing scientist J Robert Oppenheimer

Comment: Most actors are broke – this strike should kill the ‘champagne socialist’ myth dead

04:55 , Tom Murray

Claire Allfree dives into the actors’ strike in this week’s edition of State of the Arts.

“Creative economies are complex beasts, particularly in the live entertainment sector,” she writes. “Even so, it’s increasingly the case that the stars of the show are rarely the ones reaping the rewards, while the foot soldiers are barely managing to survive.”

Read more:

Most actors are broke – this strike should kill the ‘champagne socialist’ myth dead

Christopher Nolan explains why he cast his daughter as girl who gets blown up in nuclear explosion

03:51 , Tom Murray

Speaking in a new interview with The Telegraph, Nolan revealed that when his daughter, Flora, 22, visited the set with his wife, the producer Emma Thomas, it struck him that he could cast her as a nameless young woman whose flesh is flayed from her face in a nuclear explosion, in a sequence that happens within Oppenheimer’s mind.

Flora is credited on IMDb as “Burn Victim” for her work on the film.

Read more:

Christopher Nolan on why he cast daughter in Oppenheimer as girl who gets blown up

Watch: Oppenheimer actors walk out of UK premiere as Hollywood stars join strike

02:59 , Tom Murray

How a former ‘Love Island’ star got a cameo role in ‘Barbie'

02:02 , Tom Murray

If you know Margot Robbie then you know how much of a fan the Australian actor is of Love Island.

The Barbie star is a self-obsessed fanatic of the ITV dating show – so much so that season five contestant Chris Taylor found his way into her movie.

Taylor confirmed in an interview at the Barbie premiere in London that he has a small, speaking part in the picture.

Read more here:

Love Island star landed role in Barbie movie thanks to superfan Margot Robbie

How long are ‘Barbie’ and ‘Oppenheimer'?

01:20 , Tom Murray

Christopher Nolan isn’t known for quick afternoon flicks and Oppenheimer is no different, clocking in with a runtime of three hours exactly.

Great Gerwig’s Barbie, meanwhile, is a more manageable hour and 54 minutes long.

Oppenheimer to feature ‘prolonged full nudity’ by Florence Pugh and Cillian Murphy

Tuesday 18 July 2023 23:19 , Tom Murray

Oppenheimer features a significant subplot involving the nuclear scientist’s relationship with psychiatrist and physician Jean Tatlock, played by Florence Pugh.

In a recent report, it was claimed that the film’s lead Cillian Murphy and Pugh have scenes of “prolonged full nudity” together, and that it makes Oppenheimer one of Nolan’s rare films to include a significant interest in sex and relationships.

Fans theorised that Nolan would venture into this territory in June, when it was revealed that Oppenheimer had received the filmmaker’s first “R” rating in the US since his 2002 film Insomnia.

Read more:

Oppenheimer to feature ‘prolonged nudity’ by Florence Pugh and Cillian Murphy

Watch: Margot Robbie says it took just one question to get John Cena in the Barbie movie

Tuesday 18 July 2023 22:11 , Tom Murray

How the Barbie soundtrack came together, according to Mark Ronson

Tuesday 18 July 2023 21:40 , Tom Murray

“You know the Chicago (Disco Demolition) thing, where everyone burned their disco records, Saturday Night Fever had reached its apex and the poor Bee Gees were like, ‘All we wanted to do was make people dance! What did we do wrong?’ That’s Barbie,” Ronson told The Associated Press.

“I’ve never really executive produced something before,” he said. “I love this film. We had an amazing partner in Atlantic Records.”

“And then doing the score, but it was a lot of learning on the job. It was still a job that I’ve never really done before. ... It’s fun to show people different scenes and getting them to dream big.”

Watch: Issa Rae says she can't wait to 'burn' pink Barbie clothes

Tuesday 18 July 2023 21:24 , Tom Murray

Cillian Murphy addresses Danny Boyle’s ‘28 Days Later' sequel update

Tuesday 18 July 2023 20:55 , Tom Murray

In June, 28 Days Later director Danny Boyle and writer Alex Garland revealed plans to make a follow-up to their hit 2000 horror film.

Oppenheimer star Murphy played the lead role of Jim in the horror film, released in 2000, which follows survivors of an incurable virus that ravages the world.

In an interview with The Independent this week, Murphy said he’d “be there in a flash” if the opportunity to reprise his role arose.

Read more:

Cillian Murphy addresses Danny Boyle’s 28 Days Later sequel update

Mayor in Norway admits he secretly kept Tom Cruise’s stunt bikes

Tuesday 18 July 2023 20:20 , Tom Murray

Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One was also released in cinemas this month.

This week, a mayor in Norway, who was supposed to destroy motorbikes used in the latest Tom Cruise movie admitted he kept them as mementoes.

The stunt was filmed on the Helsetkopen mountain in Stranda in September 2020, and involved Cruise driving a motorbike off the side of a cliff before pulling a parachute.

“A mayor in Stranda can’t always be the one who follows rules and regulations,” came his mischeivous explanation in an interview.

Read more:

Mayor in Norway admits he secretly kept Tom Cruise’s Mission: Impossible stunt bikes

How is the SAG-AFTRA strike affecting Barbie and Oppenheimer?

Tuesday 18 July 2023 19:54 , Tom Murray

Following its strike announcement, SAG sent a memo to all of its members forbidding them from promoting any forthcoming projects.

This means that publicity events, including interviews, have ground to a halt for the two blockbusters.

“I very much am in support of all the unions and I’m a part of SAG, so I would absolutely stand by them,” Robbie said at Barbie’s London premiere.

Christopher Nolan offered a similar message of support when his cast walked out of the London premiere.

Fortunately, publicity for these films has been so omnipresent that the last few days is likely to have little effect on their box office performance. Worse affected will be films coming in August, which include DC Comics’ Blue Beetle (out 18 August) and Denzel Washington’s Equalizer 3 (1 September).

Read more about how the strikes will affect you here:

Why Hollywood writers and actors are going on strike

Video: Cillian Murphy says it ‘took a toll’ playing scientist J Robert Oppenheimer

Tuesday 18 July 2023 19:10 , Tom Murray

Matt Damon told his wife he’d take a break from acting unless ‘Chris Nolan called’

Tuesday 18 July 2023 18:59 , Tom Murray

Matt Damon’s wife can’t catch a break.

During a roundtable interview with his Oppenheimer costars, Damon revealed he’d promised his wife, Luciana Barroso, that’d he take a break from acting while the pair were in couple’s therapy.

There was one exception to the rule, though: if Christopher Nolan called, Damon could take the gig.

The rest, as they say, is history.

Read more:

The Independent calls ‘Barbie’ ‘a near-miraculous achievement’

Wednesday 19 July 2023 00:10 , Tom Murray

The Independent’s Barbie review has just gone live and boy is our critic Clarisse Loughrey a fan.

In her five-star review, Loughrey calls Gerwig’s picture “one of the most inventive, immaculately crafted and surprising mainstream films in recent memory – a testament to what can be achieved within even the deepest bowels of capitalism”.

“Barbie is joyous from minute to minute to minute. But it’s where the film ends up that really cements the near-miraculousness of Gerwig’s achievement,” Loughrey teases.

Read the full review here:

Barbie is a near-miraculous achievement – review