Barbie and Oppenheimer trailers out: Gear up for a dystopian Summer 2023

Last Saturday, we bore witness to the first official teaser for Barbie, Greta Gerwig's subversive take on the titular doll, followed by the official trailer of Oppenheimer, Christopher Nolan's next excuse to blast an atomic bomb, which just dropped this morning. 

Ever since it was announced that both highly-anticipated future blockbusters would be dropping on the same Friday (July 21, 2023), memes have been spawning on how vastly different the two films would be, be it in terms of the genre or just the colour palette. 

But from all that we know as of now, they both seem to share a common desire to explore dystopian concepts from a different lens. One thing is for sure: next summer, Hollywood would have two fresh standalone ventures away from the usual franchise trappings of Marvel, DC, and the like. 

What do we know about Barbie? From the first look images, it was apparent that Barbie would flaunt flashy shades of pink akin to the original packaging of the figurines trademarked by Mattel. 

The eyebrow-raising teaser unexpectedly plays out as a parody of the opening scene of Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey, complete with little girls shattering their dolls in a manner aping the early humans breaking bones in an arid landscape. With Richard Strauss’s Also sprach Zarathustra playing in its orchestral glory, the tribute to Kubrick’s original epic becomes all the more evident. 

Towards the end of the teaser, we get split-second glimpses of the flamboyant Utopia where Barbie (Margot Robbie) and Ken (Ryan Gosling) live. Shang Chi’s Simu Liu, Insecure’s Issa Rae, and Sex Education’s Ncuti Gatwa also seem to be playing different versions of the two dolls. 

What do we know about Oppenheimer? Oppenheimer, on an aesthetic level, seems to be stressing on a fiery orangish-red palette given how it is a biographical drama on the life of J Robert Oppenheimer AKA “The Father of the Atomic Bomb”. From the early production stills and the new clip, it is also evident that certain scenes would be shot in black-and-white. 

It is common knowledge among filmgoers that Nolan is an absolute stickler for practical effects and with his next feature dealing with bomb testings and explosions, the film would definitely be one of of 2023’s top box-office earners with loyal “Nolanists” using their July savings for a pilgrimage to the nearest IMAX screen. 

Cilian Murphy leads the cast as the protagonist joined with a star-studded lineup including the likes of Emily Blunt playing German-American biologist and Communist Party member Kitty Oppenheimer and a bald and aged Robert Downey Jr as philanthropist Lewis Strauss, the man who financed most of Oppenheimer’s nuclear operations. 

Based on the biography American Prometheus by Kai Bird and Martin J Shervin, Oppenheimer would cover the scientist’s life and work, particularly his involvement in the Manhattan Project that led to his most famous and infamous creation. But given it is Nolan behind the camera, Oppenheimer is expected to go beyond usual biopic cliches perhaps with his frequent meddling with the concept of time. 

At the same time, the Tenet director hasn’t had a favourable track record at fully fleshing out his female characters, often killing them or turning them into damsels in distress (Interstellar can be a rare exception). Here’s hoping that Nolan learns from his mistakes and Emily Blunt’s character bears more depth.

Barbie’s colourful Utopia might be a dystopian look at beauty standards. As per IMDb’s vaguely-worded synopsis, “Barbie lives in Barbie Land and then a story happens.” But insiders suggest that Gerwig’s satirical comedy would deal with Robbie’s Barbie leaving the picture-perfect Barbieland to find true happiness in the world of humans.

But given Gerwig’s track record as both a screenwriter and director (Frances Ha, Lady Bird, Little Women), it is obvious that Barbie will be more than just a style-over-substance excuse to adapt the Mattel property to the big screen. 

With cast members like Simu Liu and Issa Rae, it is apparent that Gerwig’s film would take subtle shots at how Barbie dolls now flaunt (arguably tokenistic) diversity while reinforcing the toxic “perfect body” standards. Going by the teaser which finds bespectacled girls shunning their old dolls for the towering Barbie, this satirical tone seems to be reinforced again. 

In another meta detail, Will Ferrell will be appearing as the CEO of Mattel. The American toy manufacturer has clearly offered the producers the creative license to play around with their best-selling merchandise but Gerwig would be walking on thin ice here. How would she strike a balance to mock the concept of Barbie while also ensuring that Mattel execs keep on making profits? That is to be seen in 2023. 

Much like the man himself, Oppenheimer can celebrate science while also shunning its post-apocalyptic aftereffects. As is evident from biographies like the aforementioned American Prometheus, Oppenheimer has always had mixed views regarding the atomic bomb. On one hand, he did feel his work was crucial in saving the world from in a race against time with the Nazis actively developing their nuclear capabilities during World War II. 

But then again, Oppenheimer feared that the thermonuclear weapons would boast capabilities that wouldn’t be able to be controlled by humans. The widespread destruction in Hiroshima and Nagasaki contributed to his fears to the point that he rejected US President Harry Truman’s 1949 offer to get involved in developing the H-bomb. Oppenheimer’s newfound resistance and anti-war outlook cost him his job, even being blacklisted by the government. 

Hence, more than an inventor, Oppenheimer has been more of an enigma for current observers, regardless of their pro-war or anti-war loyalties. It is obvious that Nolan would love to celebrate Oppenheimer as a visionary but given the source material for his script, the cynical tone of the trailer, and Cilian Murphy’s perpetually hollow and pale facial structure, it is highly probable with the man being depicted as a tragic figure in modern history. 

If not a directly dystopian look, Oppenheimer definitely looks like it’s aiming to capture the prologue to the post-apocalyptic dystopia that we fear in today’s times. This year, if anyone could have battled the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s hegemony at the box office, it is James Cameron with his Avatar sequel (albeit with mixed responses for the narrative). Next year, even DC gears up with three new films to combat MCU’s ever-increasing roster along with new entries to established franchises like Fast and Furious, Transformers, Mission Impossible, and Indiana Jones. 

In the face of this franchise overload, Oppenheimer and Barbie might prove to be some thoughtful summer blockbusters, hopefully bringing a breath of fresh air (atomic dust in the case of Oppenheimer) for cinephiles.