The Internet Marks Two Years Since ‘Barbenheimer’ Made Movie History

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The Internet Marks Two Years Since ‘Barbenheimer’ Made Movie History originally appeared on Parade.

Two years ago, moviegoers dressed up in cute pink outfits and black suits flooded movie theaters for what became one of the most pop culture moments in recent history: "Barbenheimer."

On July 21, 2023, Greta Gerwig’s vibrant, feminist fantasy Barbie and Christopher Nolan’s biographical thriller Oppenheimer opened in theaters on the same day. The Internet dubbed it "Barbenheimer" to celebrate two very opposite and highly anticipated movies being released. Barbie, which was the highest-grossing film that summer, made $1.4 billion worldwide, while Oppenheimer grossed $957 million in total. Over Labor Day weekend in 2023, the domestic revenue hit $4 billion between May and August for the first time in the pandemic era.

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Monday marks the second anniversary of the iconic double feature. Fans are once again reflecting on the chaos, the memes, the memories and the unforgettable cinematic showdown that defined a generation of movie lovers.

"'2 years ago' 😲, " a user commented on X. "Feels like yesterday….."

Another user pointed out, "WOW time goes by very quickly."

"what an iconic era," another X user wrote.

"It’s wild how two very different worlds came together to make a big splash," another said.

"Still remember the euphoria when I watched these movies back to back," one fan commented.

"Best era of movie history," a fan posted with the viral GIF of Olivia Wilde nodding

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One wrote, "what a time to be alive man."

Barbie follows Barbie (Margot Robbie) and Ken (Ryan Gosling), who both live in a pink and seemingly perfect world of Barbie Land. However, when they get a chance to go to the real world, they soon discover the joys and perils of living among humans. The cast also included Kate McKinnon, Ariana Greenblatt, Simu Liu, Issa Rae, Michael Cera, America Ferrera, Will Ferrell and more. The film received many nominations at the Academy Awards, the Golden Globes and other award shows.

Meanwhile, Oppenheimer follows J. Robert Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy) during World War II as he works on the Manhattan Project, where he and a team of scientists spend years developing and designing the atomic bomb. Other cast members included Florence Pugh, Emily Blunt, Josh Hartnett, Robert Downey Jr., Jack Quaid and more. The 2023 film won Best Picture, Best Actor (Murphy), Best Director (Nolan), Best Supporting Actor (Downey Jr.), Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing and Best Original Score at the 96th Academy Awards.

Fans and movie lovers can recreate their own Barbenheimer experience by streaming Oppenheimer on Peacock, then Barbie on HBO Max.

Related: Resale Tickets for Christopher Nolan’s 'The Odyssey' Are Already Skyrocketing One Year Before Release

The Internet Marks Two Years Since ‘Barbenheimer’ Made Movie History first appeared on Parade on Jul 21, 2025

This story was originally reported by Parade on Jul 21, 2025, where it first appeared.