With impressive box-office earnings predictions, Barbie and Oppenheimer are more than just a meme phenomenon; people are heading back into the movies. Larger movie chains like AMC and Alamo Drafthouse are reeling in moviegoers with convertible popcorn containers and dress-up screenings, while local theaters, with and without pink décor, all over the country are having no problem filling in their seats. Michael O’Leary, president of the National Association of Theater Owners, says over 200,000 moviegoers in North America bought tickets for both films on the same day, with more buying tickets on the different days for opening weekend. Local theaters report doubling, even tripling, typical weekend ticket sales; one theater near Boston says it is selling over 6,000 in presale tickets against its average 1,000–1,500 sales. “We’ve already broken 1,200 people at noon today. That’s above Top Gun: Maverick, and putting it up above like Avengers: Endgame weekend sales,†the general manager of Forum 8 theater in Missouri, Calon Burns, said to ABC 17. Theaters in Indianapolis and Connecticut have added additional screenings to accommodate the demand.
Presales and excitement for both films are reminiscent of Avengers: Endgame. But just like in 2019, if you’re one to procrastinate, it might be a little harder to find a seat, at least to watch Oppenheimer in the way that Christopher Nolan intended. Screenings in Imax 70-mm. are selling out San Antonio and Dallas this weekend, with the best seats — a.k.a., the middle of the theater — not available until early August. Even if you were to settle for regular shmegular digital Imax (or for a front-row seat), screenings for that version are sold out through the end of the month at the Texas Spirit Theater. This isn’t exclusive to Texas. At Universal CityWalk in Los Angeles, which is also considered one of the true and few Imax theaters in the country, most Nolan screenings are sold out except for accessible seating, with screenings as far out as August 13 having limited seats available.
Barbie has a little more room to play around, as it was shot digitally and isn’t necessarily calling for an Imax experience, allowing theaters more flexibility for their viewing experience — pajama party included.