The Battle of Barbenheimer Is ‘Mamma Mia!’ Versus ‘The Dark Knight’ All Over Again

The latest in pop-culture news, recaps, and reviews, plus close reads, profiles, interviews, and more from Vulture.com. [Brand Logo]( here we go again [The Battle of Barbenheimer Is Mamma Mia! Versus The Dark Knight All Over Again]( Veterans of the last time a long, brooding thriller by Christopher Nolan faced off against a colorful, pop-tune-heavy romp weigh in on the parallels. Photo-Illustration: Vulture; Photos: Universal Pictures, Warner Bros Pictures Welcome to the greatest multiplex showdown in recent history. In one corner, we have a long, brooding thriller directed by Christopher Nolan. In the other corner is a brisk, colorful romp filled with pop tunes. They share the same opening date in July, offering mutual counterprogramming for ostensibly disparate demographics. Only one can come out on top. I’m talking, of course, about Oppenheimer and Barbie, two of the summer’s most anticipated releases. The [much-memed]( [competition between them]( is so fierce that it’s yielding material results: One industrious Twitter user blended the movies’ logos to [sell a T-shirt]( that’s half Barbie pink and half Oppenheimer gray. On the websites [Redbubble]( and [Etsy](, you can buy stickers, postcards, and shirts that say, prematurely, “I Survived Barbenheimer 2023.” And a [not-insignificant number of moviegoers]( are booking Barbenheimer double features. [read more]( The Latest TV Recaps • What We Do in the Shadows: [Red Wine With Ice]( • The Summer I Turned Pretty: [Summer’s Over (Episode 1)](, [Heartbreak City (Episode 2)]( [Learn more about RevenueStripe...]( Stories We Think You’ll Like [Joe Walsh Will Worry About AI If It Starts Acting Like Keith Moon “It can’t throw a TV off the fifth floor into the pool and get it right in the middle.”]( By Devon Ivie [The 10 Best Movies and TV Shows to Watch This Weekend It’s time for Tom — and a side of blood.]( [Theater Camp Is Too Sweet to Take Issue With Okay, maybe one or two quibbles.]( [Rockvato Is Sorry, Wait, Actually No Demi Lovato is releasing an entire rock album of their hits.]( By Jason P. Frank [Making Friends Low-Key Changed glaive’s Life — and Music “There’s a lot less time to sit there and be like, Holy fuck, life is awful.”]( [Michael Cera Put a Wormhole in a Washing Machine In Steven Soderbergh’s upcoming self-distributed series, Command Z.]( By Zoe Guy [Learn more about RevenueStripe...]( [Today’s Crossword]( 29-Across, Five Letters: Brother of North, Chicago, and Psalm. Photo: Vulture; Photos: Getty Images hollywood on strike [Today on the Picket Line: Recapping the SAG-AFTRA Press Conference]( Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images SAG-AFTRA president and The Nanny style icon Fran Drescher was the presser’s master of ceremonies, alongside chief negotiator — and surprisingly fluent Spanish speaker — Duncan Crabtree-Ireland. So what went down at the first moment we heard from SAG since the strike was authorized? Here’s the most pressing information the dynamic duo shared. ➽ What are actors allowed and not allowed to do during the strike? Great question. “In general terms, any kind of promotion of any project that was made under the TV/Theatrical agreements, either current or past, will not be allowed — whether that’s at a con, at a festival, at a panel, on social media, at a premiere, in any form,” Crabtree-Ireland said. However, he noted that members can still participate in autograph signings and other activities that “are not related to specific companies or projects” produced under said agreements. ➽ When will SAG-AFTRA and the AMPTP go back to the table? “That’s up to them,” Drescher said. “We’re open to talking to them tonight. But, uh, you know, it’s up to all of this. It’s because of their behavior. It’s up to them if they’re willing to talk in a normal way. That honors what we do.” [Read more]( A newsletter of TV and movie recommendations. [Sign up]( to get it every week. [Get the Newsletter]( [logo]( [facebook logo]( [instagram logo]( [twitter logo]( [unsubscribe]( | [privacy notice]( | [update preferences]( This email was sent to {EMAIL}. Was this email forwarded to you? [Sign up now]( to get this newsletter in your inbox. [View this email in your browser.]( You received this email because you have a subscription to New York. Reach the right online audience with us For advertising information on email newsletters, please contact AdOps@nymag.com Vox Media, LLC 1201 Connecticut Ave. NW, 12th Floor Washington, DC 20036 Copyright © 2023, All rights reserved