Barbenheimer hype continues - what other big films and albums were released on the same day?

It seems a good while since the hype around going to the cinema has been this high. It seems like we’re back before the pandemic and I for one couldn’t have been happier to see the cinema busy.

Blockbusters Barbie and Oppenheimer both opened to audiences on the same day (July 21) - giving us the internet phenomenon of ‘Barbenheimer’ where two films that couldn’t be more drastically different were paired together.

And hype around these films is showing no signs of going away soon. Barbie enjoyed the biggest opening weekend for a film in 2023 and Oppenheimer raked in just over $80 million. Both impressive showings when it is considers how both The Flash and Indiana Jones and Dial of Destiny fell flat with audiences.

But Barbenheinmer isn’t the first time two forms of entertainment have been released on the same day - causing split audiences and the usual comparisons between what is better.

NationalWorld takes a look back at other times we have seen two big releases on the same day.

The Empire Strikes Back/ The Shining

Way back in the early 80s, cinemagoers were faced with the dilemma of choosing between two true Hollywood classics. 

Would you escape to a galaxy far far away for the much-anticipated Stars Wars sequel The Empire Strikes Back? Or would you brave the horror classic The Shining and see Jack Nicholson at his unhinged best? A tough decision for sure.

Toy Story/ Casino

Similar to Barbenheimer, these two films couldn’t be more different and released on November 22, 1995, in the US.

Undoubtedly another pair of classic films, Toy Story’s success set Pixar off in a new animated direction, while Casino saw Hollywood titan Martin Scorsese get the gang back together for another epic crime film.

The Dark Knight/ Mamma Mia

I remember being 11 and my mum trying to persuade my teenage brother and me to see Mamma Mia with her instead of dragging her to see The Dark Knight. Luckily for me, she was unsuccessful and one of my favourite experiences in the cinema unfolded before my eyes.

Both released on July 18, 2008, these two films couldn’t be more different - yet both have garnered somewhat of a cult following.

The Matrix/ 10 Things I Hate About You

This one feels truly reminiscent of Barbenheimer. A romantic comedy and an action epic launching on the same day. Okay, Oppenheimer isn’t an action film, but the similarities between Barbie and the Julia Stiles teen film are much more obvious.

The Matrix arguably had the bigger impact here - spawning multiple sequels and redefining sci-fi along the way.

Nirvana’s ‘Nevermind’ & ATCQ Low End Theory

Two of my favourite albums of all time. Nirvana’s ‘Nevermind’ is the band’s most successful album with 30 million copies sold worldwide, giving us the single ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’.

This was released on the same day (September 24, 1991) as hip-hop group A Tribe Called Quest released The Low-End Theory - their second studio album.

Both of these albums feature in the Rolling Stone Greatest 500 albums of all time list.

Oasis' 'Roll With It' & Blur 'Country House'

At the height of the Britpop era, two giants of the genre - Oasis and Blur - went head to head with single releases on the same day.

On August 14, 1995, 'Roll With It' and 'Country House' were both released. in what has become known as the 'Battle of Britpop.

The choice at the time was simple - Team Blur, or Team Oasis? It was said that Blur won the battle - as they got the number one slot that week - but Oasis won the war, as (What's the Story) Morning Glory? was more successful than The Great Escape.

Kendrick Lamar's Good Kid Maad City & Taylor Swift’s ‘Red’

One of these is also among my favourite albums of all time - and I can’t say I see myself as a ‘Swiftie’...

Kendrick Lamar’s Good Kid Maad City is one of the most critically acclaimed rap albums of its time and bears a cultural impact still felt today.

Taylor Swift's Red gave us the singles ‘We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together’ and ‘I Knew You Were Trouble’ which remain among her biggest hits to date. Both were released on October 22, 2012.

Jay-Z 4:44 , Calvin Harris ‘Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 1

Jay-Z’s 2017 effort 4:44 is arguably his most impressive. Rapping is usually considered a ‘young man’s sport’  - a myth Jay Z put to bed with his impeccable rhymes at the age of 47.

It’s also his most honest where he delves into his relationship with Beyonce and his relationship with other artists like Kanye West.

On the same day (June 30), Calvin Harris got us ready for the summer with the feature-heavy album Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 1 which featured Frank Ocean, Katy Perry, Pharrell Williams, and others.