The release of ‘Barbie‘ and ‘Oppenheimer‘ together in 2023 marked an unprecedented phenomenon in the history of cinema. After struggling to pick one of the two movies — both of which were sure shot masterpieces — many people across the world ended up booking tickets for both ‘Barbie‘ and ‘Oppenheimer‘ on the same day.
The idea, later termed as ‘Barbenheimer’ trend, was considered a good one also because of the stark tonal differences between the two movies. Cillian Murphy, who played the lead role in ‘Oppenheimer‘, has opened up about what he feels about the ‘Barbenheimer’ phenomenon and its significance.
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“You Never Go Into Making A Film Thinking About Awards”: Cillian Murphy On Oscar Nominations
In a recent interview with BBC’s Culture, Cillian Murphy talked about how the spontaneous ‘Barbenheimer’ trend was not a part of a planned marketing strategy by the studios. Speaking to media editor Katie Razzall during the interview, Cillian also talked about the impact the two movies had on each other’s success.
When asked if the two films helped each other at the box office, Murphy said, “Yeah, they did. And it was a great moment for cinema. I think they’re both great films which couldn’t be more different. And I think it was wonderful it wasn’t any amazingly designed marketing strategy by the studio.”
“It was people, you know, it was the internet and people who made up this Barbenheimer thing and it, yeah, it was a wonderful moment for cinema,” he added.
While ‘Barbie‘ raked in an impressive $1.44 billion worldwide, ‘Oppenheimer‘ also managed to secure $956 million. Both films have secured several nominations for the Oscars this year, including that for the best picture. Murphy, however, downplayed the significance of awards buzz on his performances.
“I know everyone says this, but you never go into making a film thinking about awards,” he said. “That’s not what we do. It’s impossible to make a film that way. But, when a film connects with audiences like this particular one has in a way that none of us could have anticipated… it’s hugely flattering and hugely humbling and it’s lovely to see that,” the actor added.
Though he is a co-frontrunner for the Best Actor category at the Oscars alongside Paul Giamatti for ‘The Holdovers’, Murphy said he prefers to focus on being mentioned alongside his peers.
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Cillian Murphy Has Had An Expansive Career Before ‘Oppenheimer’
The actor also spoke about his two-decade-long career wherein he covered several genres and media, earning praise for his versatility and commitment to every role.
Murphy’s career kicked off on the big screen with his role as the antagonist Scarecrow in director Christopher Nolan’s ‘Batman Begins‘. The movie essentially marked a turning point in his career as it was also the focal point of his long partnership with Nolan. Murphy went on to work in six of Nolan’s films thereafter.
The actor said the most important factor in his relationship with Nolan is trust. “It’s a 20-year relationship, and we met when we were much younger and we were kind of starting out in the business. He was a lot further ahead than I was,” he said.
“I have a huge respect for him, I’ve always loved the types of films that he makes. There’s all sorts of films that I go to the cinema to see. But we’ve developed over the years. And above all, the most important thing, I think, is trust. I really like being pushed as an actor, and he really, really pushes me, in the best way possible,” Murphy added.
While his breakthrough came with the role of Tommy Shelby in BBC’s ‘Peaky Blinders’, Murphy’s portrayal of theoretical physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer in ‘Oppenheimer‘ solidified his career’s defining moment.
The film that accidentally became a part of the ‘Barbenheimer’ trend will go down in history as one of the most magnificent films ever made even though the Oscars night may have some more surprises coming our way.
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