Greatest Barbenheimer-esque Box Office Battles

Barbenheimer was a cultural phenomenon that coincided with the simultaneous theatrical release of two films, Warner Bros. Pictures' Barbie and Universal Pictures' Oppenheimer, on July 21, 2023.

The stark contrast between Barbie - a fantasy comedy directed by Greta Gerwig about the iconic fashion doll - and Oppenheimer - an epic biographical thriller by Christopher Nolan about J. Robert Oppenheimer, the scientific director of the Manhattan Project - prompted a comedic response from internet users.

This isn't the first example of counterprogramming in cinema. Here are 10 of the greatest 'Barbenheimers.'
The Top Ten
1 Dr. Thundervago (Thunderball and Doctor Zhivago) Sean Connery's fourth outing as James Bond vs. David Lean's Russian Revolution-set romantic epic, often compared to Gone with the Wind.
2 The Dark Mamma! (The Dark Knight and Mamma Mia!) Christopher Nolan's Batman sequel featuring Heath Ledger as the Joker vs. the film adaptation of the beloved stage musical based around the songs of ABBA.
3 Barbenheimer (Barbie and Oppenheimer) Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie's fantasy comedy about the iconic Mattel doll vs. Christopher Nolan's biopic about the father of the atomic bomb, J. Robert Oppenheimer.
4 Titanic Never Dies (Titanic and Tomorrow Never Dies) James Cameron's historical epic about the ill-fated ocean liner RMS Titanic vs. Pierce Brosnan's second outing as James Bond.
5 Smokey Star Wars (Smokey & the Bandit and Star Wars) Burt Reynolds' hickspoitation comedy about beer smugglers vs. the first film in the Star Wars saga.
6 Fury Pitch Road (Mad Max Fury Road and Pitch Perfect 2) George Miller's reboot of the Mad Max saga vs. Anna Kendrick's comedy sequel about an all-female a cappella group.
7 Walk the Goblet of Fire Line (Harry Potter & the Goblet of Fire and Walk the Line The fourth installment in J.K. Rowling's saga about boy wizard Harry Potter vs. a biopic about legendary country musician Johnny Cash and his relationship with June Carter.
8 The Stingxorcist (The Sting and The Exorcist) Robert Redford and Paul Newman's period heist comedy vs. Linda Blair's iconic exorcism horror.
9 The Lion the Witch and the Brokeback (The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion the Witch & the Wardrobe and Brokeback Mountain) The first film in the series based on C.S. Lewis' classic Narnia stories vs. Ang Lee's tragic love story about a forbidden gay love affair between two ranch hands.
10 Happy Casino (Happy Feet and Casino Royale) An animated film about dancing penguins vs. Daniel Craig's first outing as James Bond.
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