Going to 'Barbenheimer'? Tips for seeing 'Barbie' and 'Oppenheimer' on the same day in Milwaukee area

In a season of sequels and superheroes, the biggest summer movie attraction could be a two-headed icon.

Say hello to "Barbenheimer."

"Barbie," the very pink and very meta movie inspired by the toy doll and written and directed by Greta Gerwig ("Ladybird," "Little Women"), opens in theaters with screenings Thursday night. So does "Oppenheimer," filmmaker Christopher Nolan's ("The Dark Knight," "Interstellar") ambitious biopic about the father of the atomic bomb.

Through a mix of hype and grassroots buzz, the twin openings are generating interest among moviegoers planning to see the two movies back to back — on the same day and at the same theater.

On Wednesday, the National Association of Theatre Owners told The Wrap that more than 200,000 moviegoers around the country planned to watch "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer" on the same day.

Marcus Theatres, Wisconsin's largest theater chain and the country's fifth-largest, is also seeing symptoms of "Barbenheimer" fever.

In an informal survey of members of Marcus' Magical Movie Rewards loyalty program, 44% of Wisconsin members said they planned to see both movies, and 60% said they would watch "Oppenheimer" first, then "Barbie."

“There is an audience that’s going back-to-back. We definitely know that. They’re out there," said Pam Henson, director of marketing for Marcus Theatres. "We are seeing it’s skewing younger.”

So far, the Oriental Theatre has sold 249 pairs of tickets to see "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer" on the same day. (A couple of the early "Barbie" screenings are all but sold out.)

“Both movies are just sort of event cinema that happens to have the same release date, so I think film fans grabbed onto that and ran with it and decided to make it their own phenomenon," said Kerstin Larson, programming director for Milwaukee Film, which operates the Oriental. “Just the fact they’re so opposite on the spectrum of content, I guess people just thought that was funny. People love Christopher Nolan, people love Greta Gerwig, and so just the fact that both of these huge releases could come out at the same time people were just excited about. It’s going to make quite the double feature.”

Where can I watch 'Barbenheimer' in the Milwaukee area?

If you're looking to catch "Barbenheimer" fever, there are plenty of options.

Fourteen of Milwaukee's 16 first-run movie theaters — AMC Mayfair Mall, Oriental Theatre, Silverspot Cinema and all 11 Marcus Theatres — are showing both "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer."

Milwaukee Film has a "Barbenheimer" promotion at the Oriental. Anyone who buys same-day tickets to both movies at the Oriental is automatically entered to win a free one-year Milwaukee Film membership or a "golden ticket" bundle for two free movie tickets and a large popcorn. (And anyone who goes to the east side movie palace for the two-fer receives a free small popcorn.)

If you want to see "Oppenheimer" the way director Nolan wants you to — the cinephile shot the movie in 70-millimeter IMAX format — you can. The Oriental and Marcus' Majestic Cinema are showing it in a 70-millimeter print, while AMC Mayfair is showing the movie at its IMAX theater.

'Barbenheimer' showtimes at Milwaukee-area theaters

For those planning on seeing both movies, Marcus' Henson — who has seen both — recommends watching "Barbie" first because of "Oppenheimer's" "heaviness."

Larson is going a different direction.

“I feel like people gravitate toward watching ‘Barbie’ first, but I feel like watching ‘Oppenheimer’ where you get the long, serious edifying movie out of the way and follow it with ‘Barbie’ as sort of a palate-cleanser," she said. "Which is what I’m personally doing.”

A big factor in creating your own "Barbenheimer" plan is the movies' runtimes. "Barbie" clocks in at 114 minutes, just under two hours; "Oppenheimer" runs for three hours. (And don't forget to budget 15 to 20 minutes between movies for trailers before the second screening.)

Another factor to consider: While it's usually encouraged to sit through the credits after a movie, neither "Barbie" nor "Oppenheimer" has a post-credit scene (think every Marvel or Disney movie you've seen over the past two decades). So if you feel the need to duck out after "The End," you can always check out the credits online later.

With all that in mind, here are a few suggested "Barbenheimer" pairings to consider during the movies' first weekend. You can figure out one that works best for you by checking times at the theaters' websites.

• At Oriental Theatre, July 22 or 23: "Barbie" at 4 p.m., then "Oppenheimer" (in 70-millimeter) at 7:30 p.m.

• At Marcus Majestic, July 23: "Barbie" at 10:45 or 11 a.m., then "Oppenheimer" (in 70-millimeter) at 2 p.m.

• At Silverspot Cinema, July 21: "Barbie" at 6:05 p.m., then "Oppenheimer" at 8:55 p.m.

• At AMC Mayfair, July 21: "Barbie" at 6:40 or 7:30 p.m., then "Oppenheimer" (in IMAX) at 10:10 p.m.

• At Marcus North Shore, July 21-23: "Barbie" at 6 p.m., then "Oppenheimer" at 8:30 p.m.

• At Marcus Menomonee Falls, July 21-22: "Barbie" at 5:15 or 5:45 p.m., then "Oppenheimer" at 8:10 p.m.

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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Tips for pulling off 'Barbenheimer' in the Milwaukee area