Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer dealt huge blow in Barbie box office war just hours after release
Cillian Murphy plays the titular character in Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer
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Margot Robbie's stint as iconic doll Barbie and Cillian Murphy's turn as J Robert Oppenheimer are finally available for moviegoers to see for themselves.
While the two movies couldn't be further apart in terms of tone, backdrop - and critical reception - anticipation from both camps of fans has been sky-high for much of 2023.
Therefore, it's no surprise both films are set to rake in millions at the box office during their opening weekends.
However, new evidence has emerged to suggest it won't be Christopher Nolan's real-life thriller which will emerge victorious against its pink-clad rival.
Bookmakers are tipping Barbie to surpass the lucrative $100m milestone at cinemas while Oppenheimer could fall short.
According to William Hill, Robbie and Ryan Gosling's fun-filled adventure flick is odds-on at 4-9 to smash through the nine-figure mark.
Matt Damon, Emily Blunt, Cillian Murphy and Florence Pugh attend the Oppenheimer premiere
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However, when it comes to the star-studded Oppenheimer, bookies are offering an odds-on price of 4-7 for it to rake in the rather modest-in-comparison $50m.
William Hill spokesperson, Lee Phelps, said: “Barbie and Oppenheimer have seen more hype than most movies in recent years and we can see them both being smash hits as we make Barbie 4-9 to gross over $100 million on its opening weekend with Oppenheimer at 4-7 to gross over $50 million in the same period."
Oppenheimer tells the story of J Robert Oppenheimer's appointment by Lt Gen Leslie Groves (played by Matt Damon) during World War II to work on the top-secret Manhattan Project.
The renowned physicist subsequently became instrumental in the development of the atomic bomb which led to hundreds of thousands of deaths in Hiroshima and Nagasaki following orders by then-president Harry Truman.
Greta Gerwig's Barbie, on the other hand, follows Robbie's blonde bombshell and Ken (Ryan Gosling) as they ditch 'Barbie World' for the human one.
However, transcending these two universes comes with its challenges as Barbie and Ken quickly discover the perilous landscape real humans live in compared to the idealistic life they had before.
The rivalry between the two films - dubbed as "Barbenheimer" by social media users - may have an early frontrunner in the box office stakes this opening weekend, but it's a different story when it comes to awards prospects.
Oppenheimer is one of the top titles tipped for Oscars glory with odds of 3-1 while Barbie looks set to miss out on the Best Picture gong at 14-1.
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Ryan Gosling and Margot Robbie are the two leading stars of Barbie
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Phelps added: “As for their respective chances at picking up the Oscar for Best Picture, we don’t think Barbie will catch the eye of the critics at 14-1.
"Whilst Oppenheimer is one of the frontrunners at the 96th Academy Awards and make it 3-1 to win Best Picture.”
However, when the Oscars rolls around, Oppenheimer looks like it will face stiff opposition from the likes of Killers of the Flower Moon, Past Lives, Lee and BAR.
Peaky Blinders star Murphy leads the cast of Oppenheimer alongside a plethora of other big names including Matt Damon, Florence Pugh, Emily Blunt, Jason Clarke, Robert Downey Jr and Kenneth Branagh.
Barbie's A-list cast also boasts several recognisable faces as Robbie and Gosling are joined by the likes of Ncuti Gatwa, Will Ferrell, Emma Mackey, Issa Rae, John Cena and Dua Lipa.