“Barbenheimer” proved to be one of the greatest weekends in cinematic history. For both fans and studio executives, the opening weekend of Barbie (2023) and Oppenheimer (2023) was a pink-tastic celebration of cinema and all that it can do. 

But, now that Barbenheimer’s opening weekend has come and gone, what’s next? What does the rest of 2023 — a year in which Hollywood is openly reckoning with evolving audiences, striking workers, and emerging technologies — have in store?

Greta Gerwig’s Barbie and Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer dual release on July 21, 2023 proved to be the ultimate beast of counter-programming, pulling in the fourth-biggest overall weekend in history. The only openings to beat out Barbenheimer weekend come from massive franchises: Avengers: Endgame (2019), Avengers: Infinity War (2018), and Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015)

One would think there would be so much to learn from this weekend. The Barbenheimer phenomenon, which is still pulling in unbelievably strong numbers at the box office for both films, proved that audiences do indeed care about original programming. It proved that people want to see bold, interesting work from creative auteurs. It proved that movies, and movie theaters specifically, can still hold a significant place in culture. It proved that “cinema” is alive at a time when some may argue the medium is dying and regressing into an endless sludge of “content.”

Yet, there’s a troubling consideration to this success. And no, I’m not talking about the Mattel Cinematic Universe that might be coming (*cue the deepest of sighs*). The question is: Now that Barbenheimer opening weekend has come and gone, what’s next for the movies? For now, barring any hidden gems in the rough, the future seems bleak for big-time moviegoing.

The big names at the beginning of August are Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (2023) and Meg 2: The Trench (2023). If animated films or Jason Statham killer shark movies aren’t your cup of tea, maybe A24’s Talk to Me (2023), a horror movie that just hit theaters this weekend, can wet your whistle. (You can listen to our review of it here.)

The rest of August then leaves some to be desired. There’s The Last Voyage of the Demeter (2023), a horror/fantasy flick about Dracula. Or Gran Turismo (2023), which follows a gamer-turned-racecar driver. Then there’s Blue Beetle (2023), a movie, unfortunately, stuck in a limbo moment of DC IP as James Gunn and Peter Safran look to overhaul the entire cinematic universe. Strays (2023), an R-rated talking dog comedy, also releases on the same day — but it’s unlikely that “Stray Beetle” will be the same phenomenon as Barbenheimer.

The rest of the summer continues with a lack of highly-anticipated tentpoles. While movies like The Equalizer 3 (2023), A Haunting in Venice (2023) or The Creator (2023) may land favorably amongst genre fans, there doesn’t seem to be a Barbie or Oppenheimer on the near horizon.

The good news is that the fall schedule might hold some all-time bangers — as long as they aren’t delayed. But more on that later.

The closest movie to match the level of Oppenheimer’s hype would likely be Killers of the Flower Moon (2023), Martin Scorsese’s epic starring Leonardo DiCaprio. But it won’t see theaters until October, and most of its viewership will likely come when it later lands on Apple TV+. Other movies bearing the excitement of beloved “auteur” filmmakers — such as David Fincher’s The Killer (2023) or Ridley Scott’s Napoleon (2023) — won’t be seen by general audiences until November, smack dab in the middle of awards season.

November also holds a fair number of IP tentpoles — including The Marvels (2023) and The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (2023) — but recent history would suggest that massive franchises like the MCU are losing relative interest among audiences and critics.

Oh, and did I mention that the industry is currently undergoing strikes from both the WGA and SAG-AFTRA, making it only the second time in Hollywood’s history that actors have joined writers on the picket lines?

The industry is currently at a moment of immense reckoning that hasn’t been seen since 1960, the last time both unions striked together. It’s hard to overstate the significance of this moment in entertainment history. This is a big, big deal.

The strike has already resulted in a few delays, including Luca Guadagnino’s Zendaya vehicle, Challengers (2024), which surely would have added some life to a somewhat barren September schedule. Yorgos Lanthimos’ Poor Things (2023) was also delayed from September to December.

One of the largest rumored delays, though, stem from recent reports coming out of Warner Bros. Discovery. According to Variety, Warner Bros. is considering delaying Dune: Part Two (2023), The Color Purple (2023), and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (2023) to 2024. These movies, especially Denis Villeneuve’s epic Dune (2021) sequel, are big-budget swings that need their actors to promote their work. 2023 without Dune: Part Two would be immensely disappointing.

This Friday also brought more disappointing news about a number of Sony films. The Hollywood Reporter reported that Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse (2024), which was supposed to release in spring of 2024, has been taken off of Sony’s release schedule entirely. Kraven the Hunter (2024) was also delayed from this October to August 2024. 

The dominos are falling in a dramatic way.

According to reporting from Deadline, it doesn’t seem like the strikes are close to an end, either. One anonymous studio executive previously told Deadline: “The endgame is to allow things to drag on until union members start losing their apartments and losing their houses.”

Until actors and writers get a fair deal from studios, Hollywood is on halt. More delays will come. The strike’s effects will be felt with this year’s fall festival schedule, this year’s awards race, and movie release schedules for years to come. All eyes are on the AMPTP to determine the immediate future of the industry.

Barbenheimer was undoubtedly a bright spot for movie fans. It provided one of the most hopeful theatrical experiences in a long, long time.

Sadly, it may also have been a last hurrah.

Article Courtesy of Carson Burton

Feature Image from ‘The Hunger Games: Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes’ via Lionsgate