For decades, nerd culture has been something of a taboo. Whether it’s Dungeons & Dragons or Pokemon trading cards, the pop cultural zeitgeist has always framed the subculture as uncool and avoidable.
As the late 2000s kicked in, a number of changes happened. Hollywood started to flip the stereotype on its head, exploring new avenues through six seasons of Chuck, playing with the mechanics of comic book culture in global phenomenon Heroes and ultimately changing the public's perceptions with The Big Bang Theory. This all played a pivotal role in engaging varying audiences who were blown away by the first two Spiderman movies, fell in love with Captain America and were part of the conversation with bad examples of nerd media thanks to Catwoman and Hulk.
As Hollywood slowly embraced nerd culture, it could also profit off the world’s interest in nerd memorabilia that heightened consumer experience with the meta-referential nature of Marvel’s cinematic takeover. Their productions have consistently broken records and scared traditional filmmakers such as Martin Scorsese, who says they are "closer to theme parks than they are to movies".
Even stars such as Jennifer Lopez, have consistently expressed discomfort with how hard it has become to pitch movies such as chick flicks. She told Variety that this is especially the case for women-led projects that are not tied to an existing franchise.
However, the dominance of these movies might soon dwindle as seen in the latest numbers these past few weeks. Greta Gerwig’s Barbie made a surprising debut that mirrored that of the Black Panther releases. With fans flocking to cinemas in regalia that honours the lead character it took away $529m (R9.6bn) in its first week. Breaking a record for Warner Bros and Greta Gerwig as a female director. Now three weeks out, it’s already the biggest opening for a toy-related movie, a non-sequel movie, non-IMAX flick and ultimately takes the 2023 crown.
Its cinematic rival, although vastly different in content, was Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer, which is currently second in box office sales.
Fans on the internet pit the two highly anticipated movies together based on the hype and how polarising they both are. Titled the Barbenheimer battle, this also saw the Mattel company’s rival, MGA Entertainment, who produced Bratz, take to TikTok when picking a side as the core four characters watched Oppenheimer at the cinema.
The strength of the movie lies mostly in its rollout. The marketing budget for Warner Bros’ marketing team, headed by Joseph Goldstine, was a total $150m (R2.6bn which far outweighs the $145m (R2.5bn) it took to make the movie.
While the rollout was not initially robust, it was the audience’s reaction that inspired Goldstine and his team to react. Goldstine told Variety they kicked it off with the image of Margot Robbie in the pink Corvette at CinemaCon 2022, then the images of Robbie and Ryan Gosling filming on rollerblades ignited a wildfire.
The phenomenon of the movie’s popularity also brought people back to the cinema as many critics and analysts expressed concerns about whether audiences would respond well to it. It also had the WGA/SAG-AFTRA strike to contest with. Their actors can’t do a media tour and interviews due to their stance, but they have managed to rake in audiences from their hype.
Much like the nerd takeover, Barbie’s success pushes audiences out of the multiverse saga and into the multi-corporations — a New Yorker article suggested Mattel made plans for 45 movie releases based on their line of toys. This includes a Polly Pocket comedy series to be directed by Lena Dunham of Girls fame. While in the past year or two, this concept would have worried moviegoers, Gerwig’s success shines a spotlight on female directors.
Interest in what has been the biggest blockbuster in Marvel movies has also seen a shift in audience interest. The first three phases won fans over as each movie was building up to combine its storylines until the two-part showdown that saw half its cast eviscerated by a singular big bad, Thanos. However, in the past few years, their eight-year rollout has been met with criticism and confusion. Fans have expressed disinterest in phase four, and while Black Panther showed that female-lead projects can still have big numbers, their future projects such as The Marvels and Ms Marvel are not favoured by misogynistic fans.
Also, the constant changes for DC comic book-related movies have proved costly. Especially now that their attempts to tie in their cinematic universe have been for naught since storylines are being scrapped.
Oppenheimer’s luck lies in riding on the Barbie coattails and the fans of Nolan’s cinematic efforts. While fans won’t run to the cinema dressed as scientists, it certainly got people talking.
As Kevin Feige and friends at Marvel have been a fearsome dominant force, it would seem it’s finally time for a change. And the world of girl toys seems fit to take the crown. Especially at a time when Barbie tackles current topics at a stronger level than Marvel comics and products. Doll lines from rivals can also be expected to reach into the cultural zeitgeist.
Fads that were dominant in the 2000s are making a swift comeback and can be seen in the high sales of Bratz dolls which have championed Y2K trends and diversity that toppled interest in Barbie in the past. As race and doll options were limited, OMG Dollz broke the mould by creating a doll line where children have no idea what they will get until the colourful packs they come in are opened. They also could be submerged in water to reveal the colourway of the dolls, which varied in racial ambiguity.
As conversations on gender, sexuality and existentialism continue, Mattel’s doll domination is set to be the beginning of a cinematic landscaping.
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