Emagine's CEO says 5% of tickets sold for double features are for Barbie, Oppenheimer
BIRMINGHAM, Mich. (FOX 2) - If one would believe the hype, the movies Barbie and Oppenheimer really are taking the country by storm.
On social media, fans of either franchise toy'd around with the idea of seeing both. But, surely, no one would sit through two blockbuster films straight, with movie theater-sized screens and speakers helping capture every frame and sound bite?
According to Emagine Entertainment CEO Anthony LaVerde, there are people out there that intend to do just that.
"Five percent of our tickets sold are for double features folks staying to see Barbie and Oppenheimer," he said.
Barbie, which features Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, runs an hour and 54 minutes. Oppenheimer, the Christopher Nolan-directed behemoth about the work of the Manhattan Project, is 3 hours.
That adds up to at least five hours of film-time for the most efficient movie-goers.
But if you ask the fans of either film intending to see the movies during opening weekend, the run-time has little to do with their decision to see the films.
"We have to see this movie. We have to be front row. We just have to see it," said one Barbie fanatic.
"I think it just has something to do with childhood nostalgia and something that brings us all together," said another.
In addition to the immediate fandom of the movies, many see the surge in traffic to the big screen as a sign that movie theaters are not dead and the entertainment industry is very much prepared to welcome viewers back.