Two of the most prominent and star-studded studio blockbusters of the year are set to clash at the box office. The anticipated face-off between Oppenheimer (Universal Pictures) and Barbie (Warner Bros.) is all set for July 21 when the movies hit the theatres.

Referred to as “Barbenheimer,” the simultaneous release of these potential blockbusters seems to complement each other, enticing many moviegoers to plan double feature trips to cinemas.

“Ever since we knew that these two films were going to open on the same weekend there’s just been instantly a pop culture phenomenon,” Erik Davis, managing director at Fandango said, according to CNBC. “It’s been the most anticipated weekend of the year.”

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As the weekend approaches, “Barbie” is anticipated to secure a minimum of $90 million in domestic ticket sales, with optimistic box office analysts projecting it to potentially reach up to $140 million. On the other hand, “Oppenheimer” is expected to achieve between $40 million and $60 million in ticket sales.

The debate between “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” has completely stolen the spotlight. Even Tom Cruise’s latest installment of “Mission Impossible,” which premiered on July 12, has received considerably less attention in comparison to these two colossal films.

In the second weekend of “Dead Reckoning,” moviegoers will have the exciting opportunity to choose between two highly anticipated newcomers at the box office. Warner Bros.’ “Barbie” has generated a tremendous buzz with its overwhelmingly strong advance ticket sales, while Universal’s “Oppenheimer” has garnered praise from its premiere in Paris and is set to dominate Imax screens worldwide for the next three weeks. The competition between these films is sure to make for an exhilarating movie-watching experience for audiences.

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Chris Aronson, Paramount’s domestic distribution president, expresses his belief that all the competing films will perform well in the upcoming weekend. Despite the strong presence of other movies, he has confidence that “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning” won’t be overshadowed.

“The results speak for themselves. The audience exit polls for this film are stronger than any previous ‘Mission: Impossible’ installment and are only surpassed by ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ among recent summer films,” he shared with TheWrap. Aronson emphasizes that past “Mission: Impossible” films have demonstrated staying power, continuing to draw audiences for several weeks, and he sees no indications that this latest installment will be any different in that regard.