This past summer, Barbenheimer was the word when it came to theatrical thrills. As both Barbie and Oppenheimer opened on the same day in July, their twin fates boosted the box office and gave the world something to talk about. So it seems pretty surprising that it took this long to actually see a movie named Barbenheimer announced, because of course, this would be the next step.
JoBlo is reporting that the genre movie legends at Full Moon Studios are in the middle of pre-production on Barbenheimer as we speak. With the company’s pedigree in full display through classic franchises like Puppet Master and Dollman, this concept is indeed going to be as bonkers as those two series would suggest. One shouldn’t expect less from a company that’s so adept at making some of the best scary doll horror movies, and the proof can also be read in the picture’s official synopsis:
Deep within Dollsville, a group of fed-up female dolls – led by the brilliant Dr. Barbenheimer – build an atomic bomb. Their mission? To bring down the patriarchy once and for all! But as the battle of the sexes swells, will Barbenheimer and her bevy of beauties end up blowing up more than they bargained for?
Sporting a poster that invokes the spirit of all of the mashup art you’ve seen on the internet, the tagline for Barbenheimer is very tongue in cheek: “D-cup, A-bomb.” Indeed, this Barbie’s job sounds like it’s mutually assured destruction, which honestly sounds like the right type of fun. However, there is also the potential for some backlash in the making.
As seen in the case of Warner Bros. Japan’s ill-advised tweet, this mashup could see controversy arise in its wake. On one hand, people could cite the film as being insensitive to history; while the other point of order may consider Barbenheimer regressive in its gender politics. Admittedly, these will be concerns that people who don’t know about Full Moon Studios will be pondering; even though this sounds like exactly the sort of movie that would have come out of the ‘50s or ‘60s drive-in circuit.
While we don’t have a lot to go on with Barbenheimer, it sounds just as silly as any other Full Moon property. Just like any major movie craze can find itself subject to the mockbuster treatment, the mixture of Oppenheimer’s atomic politics and Barbie’s patriarchy commentary does seem to make for a concept that sounds like a lot of campy fun. Think of it as Dr. Strangelove, but a lot pinker and a potential dream house that houses an atomic weapons lab.
There’s no exact date as to when we should expect Barbenheimer to be completed, but Full Moon Studios is planning to release the film as a streaming debut on the 2023 movie schedule. At the moment the Christmas time frame seems to be the intended premiere window, but that could always change. In the meantime, both Barbie and Oppenheimer are currently showing in theaters; with Greta Gerwig’s record-breaking hit set for a home entertainment release on October 3.