Christopher Nolan “upset” over Oppenheimer vs Barbie release date

According to sources close to production, Christopher Nolan is “upset” that his summer blockbuster Oppenheimer is sharing a release date with Barbie.

We’re just two weeks away from the premiere of Barbenheimer, the collective nickname given to Barbie and Oppenheimer as the two summer blockbusters share the same release date of July 21.

Barbie, produced by Warner Bros. and directed by Greta Gerwig, fleshes out the titular iconic doll while Oppenheimer, produced by Universal Studios and directed by Nolan, recounts the story of atomic-bomb creator J. Robert Oppenheimer.

While fans online have been joking about the two films’ joint release date, sources have claimed Nolan himself isn’t too happy that his epic movie will have to share the day with Gerwig’s pinked-color dream.

Christopher Nolan “upset” over Oppenheimer vs Barbie release date

According to a recent interview with Insider, some sources have said that Nolan is “upset” about Oppenheimer premiering with Barbie on the same date.

But, during an interview with Insider, Jason Guerrasio asked Nolan if the studio released Barbie to spite him, and he dismissed the rumor, saying: “Now, you must know I’m not going to answer that question, 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.”

Nolan has released most of his iconic pieces of work through Warner Bros. Pictures, including Insomnia and his Dark Knight trilogy. The two seemed to have a great working relationship until the studio decided to release its 2021 slate of films exclusively through its streaming services due to the global shutdown.

In a statement given to The Hollywood Reporter, Nolan pushed back against the decision, stating: “Some of our industry’s biggest filmmakers and most important movie stars went to bed the night before thinking they were working for the greatest movie studio and woke up to find out they were working for the worst streaming service.”

After this incident, Nolan then revealed that his new film, Oppenheimer, would be made through Universal Studios. And some believe Warner Bros. decided to hit back by releasing Barbie in late July, which is known to be Nolan’s preferred time to debuts his films.

Warner Bros. Pictures/Universal Pictures

While Nolan won’t confirm the alleged animosity between him and Warner Bros., it seems like a reconciliation may be on the horizon, as Variety has reported that Warner Bros. CEOs Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy want Nolan to return, and sent him a seven-figure royalty check for Tenet as an olive branch.

Plus, it’s been revealed that Nolan and Emma Thomas, his wife/producing partner, still have an office on the studio lot, so it looks like Nolan’s relationship with Warner Bros. won’t be dissuaded by the upcoming Barbenheimer showdown.

Barbie and Oppenheimer will both premiere on July 21, 2023. For more information on the movies, click here and here.