So if you care to find me, are you not entertained? That makes no sense, and that’s just another reason why a Gladiator and Wicked double-feature isn’t Barbenheimer 2.0.
It’s hard to believe that it was almost a year ago when the world was raptured by a cultural phenomenon that sent everyone into a pink nuclear frenzy. The premiere of Greta Gerwig’s Barbie and Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer on the same date was the event of the summer, a once-in-a-lifetime cosmic happenstance where the ditzy glam of Gerwig’s masterpiece coincided with Nolan’s history epic—and everyone was all for it. The double feature would then be forever known as “Barbenheimer”, and the Summer of 2023 will go down in history as the Barbenheimer Summer.
Now another double feature this year is being hailed by some as the second coming of Barbenheimer. Ridley Scott’s sequel to Gladiator and the first part of the film adaptation of the iconic musical Wicked are both premiering on November 22, which could mean another juxtaposed double feature. It does sound like a good plan, and though the excitement is real for both movies, they are far from the Barbenheimer phenomena that took the world by storm last year, and there are some good reasons why.
Why the Gladiator/Wicked double feature isn’t the new Barbenheimer
They premiere on the same date but only in the United States
Much like how the US likes to refer to some things as “world championships”, “world series”, or “superbowls”, the double feature some are hailing as the next cultural phenomenon is only limited to their shores. That’s because Gladiator II is being released on November 22 only in the US. Elsewhere, it’s being released earlier on November 15. Americans can enjoy both films back-to-back, but unfortunately, they will only have that luxury.
It feels a little forced calling it ‘Barbenheimer 2.0’
When the world found out Barbie and Oppenheimer were going to be released on the same day, the world was in near-unanimous agreement that this would be special. The same can’t be said about Gladiator and Wicked. There are some media outlets that have definitely been pushing the Barbenheimer 2.0 tag but it only results in making the whole thing feel so forced instead of the organic excitement everyone felt last year. Again, I’m not saying each of these films isn’t worth the hype. They definitely are— but separately, and that’s absolutely fine.
Unlike Barbenheimer, there’s no catchy combined name for Gladiator and Wicked
Barbenheimer was right there. It was a no-brainer that it should be called that. A portmanteau of Gladiator and Wicked, however, isn’t as easy as combining Barbie and Oppenheimer. None of the choices seem to roll off the tongue: either it’s Wickiator, which sounds more like a car part, or Gladicked, which sounds like something I can’t mention unless I want to get fired.
Gladiator II will premiere on November 15. Wicked will premiere on November 22 in the US.
‘Gladiator 2’: Plot Synopsis, Cast Updates, Release Date And Everything Else We Know
27 Upcoming Movies To Look Forward To In 2024
This article first appeared on Lifestyle Asia Bangkok
