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Blu hunt & peter vack to topline relationship drama ‘replay’ from director jason lester – first look, tom cruise lays out plan to see ‘oppenheimer’ & ‘barbie’ on their opening weekend.

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Tom Cruise is on a mission to watch both Oppenheimer and Barbie on their opening weekend and is opening up about how he’ll make it happen.

“I want to see both Barbie and Oppenheimer . I’ll see them opening weekend,” he said per The Sydney Morning Herald . “Friday I’ll see Oppenheimer first and then Barbie on Saturday.”

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Cruise has made it no secret of his intentions to hit the Cineplex to see Oppenheimer and Barbie and recently showed off his tickets as proof .

“This summer is full of amazing movies to see in theaters,” he tweeted. “Congratulations, Harrison Ford, on 40 years of Indy and one of the most iconic characters in history. I love a double feature, and it doesn’t get more explosive (or more pink) than one with Oppenheimer and Barbie .”

This summer is full of amazing movies to see in theaters. Congratulations, Harrison Ford, on 40 years of Indy and one of the most iconic characters in history. I love a double feature, and it doesn't get more explosive (or more pink) than one with Oppenheimer and Barbie. pic.twitter.com/udWHHj4fAe — Tom Cruise (@TomCruise) June 28, 2023

Cruise is highly credited for bringing audiences back to theaters when Top Gun: Maverick broke records over the summer. The actor is also preparing to hit theaters again as Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One opens July 12, a week before Oppenheimer and Barbie .

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SHOCKER: Tom Cruise Reveals All! Here's The Order He Plans To See Barbie And Oppenheimer

Both Greta Gerwig's ultra-pink, kid-friendly fantasy "Barbie" and Christopher Nolan's terse biography "Oppenheimer" will be released on July 21, 2023. One promises to be a fluffy look at one of the most popular toy products ever made, while still interrogating the negative impact it had on the world. The other will be a deep look into the mind of a man whose brilliance and engineering acumen created one of the most deadly weapons ever conceived by humankind. The audiences for the two films could not be more different. 

Or could they? Enterprising cineastes the world over have been intrigued by both Gerwig's and Nolan's movies, and delight in the bizarre juxtaposition of the two being counterprogrammed in theaters against one another. As such, one might find that some audience members fully intend to go to their local multiplex on July 21 and construct one of the most jarring double features imaginable. The term "Barbenheimer" has become a minor meme in recent months, happily blending the two prospective film experiences into one. One can even find Barbenheimer t-shirts on Etsy.

Of course, the question remains: which film does one watch first? Do you start with a frothy, lighthearted romp, have a drink, and then contemplate the destruction of the Earth via nuclear bomb? Or does one start with the longer, headier film, and chase it with something colorful?

One notable fan asking this question is Tom Cruise, star of "Taps" and "Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning, Part One." He, like many of us, intends to see "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer" on their opening weekend. He also, as he revealed in a recent interview with Variety , has a plan of action.

Cruise's Barbenheimer plans

Cruise, it seems, has no plans to marathon both films on the same day. Gerwig's "Barbie" is a surprisingly long 114 minutes, while Nolan's "Oppenheimer" is a hefty 180 minutes. Add in a 15-minute break for coffee, as well as the typical theater's coming attractions reels, and that's about six straight hours at the theater. This is not feasible for viewers who have day jobs or require babysitters. Cruise is likely a busy guy — his own new action blockbuster will be playing in theaters alongside "Barbenheimer" — so he'll be splitting up the experiences. His plan: 

"I want to see both 'Barbie' and 'Oppenheimer.' I'll see them opening weekend. Friday, I'll see Oppenheimer' first and then 'Barbie' on Saturday."

Fine. A hefty movie for a Friday night, then a Saturday matinee to unwind. This is as good a plan as any. 

How one orders "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer" may well depend on your disposition. If one wants to leave the theater in a hopeful mood, pondering that little kids can take hope from their toys and construct identities for themselves, then finish with "Barbie." If one prefers to leave a theater with a great weight on their brain, contemplating how humankind's implied promise of a grand technological future was ultimately betrayed by the construction of an atomic bomb, then definitely finish with "Oppenheimer." Personally, I would skew toward the latter. Either way, I'd be interested to hear reviews from people — including Cruise — who tried doubling up. 

It's been theorized that any two films, when watched back-to-back, seem to share a thematic link. Perhaps the link would be different if "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer" were watched in a certain order. 

How would you construct a Barbenheimer double feature?

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Fans flock to theaters for the 'Barbenheimer' double feature

Rachel Treisman

Jeffrey Williams (left), who rented out a Barbie screening for his birthday, and Andrew Roof pose next to an Oppenheimer poster at the Regal Gallery Place in Washington, D.C., on Friday night. Rachel Treisman/NPR hide caption

Jeffrey Williams (left), who rented out a Barbie screening for his birthday, and Andrew Roof pose next to an Oppenheimer poster at the Regal Gallery Place in Washington, D.C., on Friday night.

The two big movies hitting theaters this weekend couldn't be more different.

There's Oppenheimer , Christopher Nolan's sprawling biographical thriller about the man known as the father of the atomic bomb, which the director has said will leave viewers "absolutely devastated." And there's Greta Gerwig's Barbie , a fantasy comedy with original songs and enough pink paint to prompt a real-life shortage .

Together, they form Barbenheimer. Or is it Oppenbarbie? Boppenheimer?

Movie Reviews

Go see 'barbie' and 'oppenheimer' in theaters — doubleheader or not is your call.

Whatever you call it, it's blown up into a cultural juggernaut.

Warner Bros. and Mattel unleashed a powerful Barbie marketing blitz , with over 100 official brand collaborations . Retailers and restaurants have followed suit, offering their own twist on " Barbiecore ."

And while Oppenheimer has taken a more subdued approach, all the hype appears to have given both movies a boost.

For weeks people have been making memes and merchandise celebrating the mashup, effectively transforming a box-office battle into an unlikely double feature.

And it seems many people are actually committing to the bit: The National Association of Theatre Owners projects that more than 200,000 moviegoers will attend same-day viewings of both movies across North America this weekend.

Pop Culture Happy Hour

A 'barbie' v. 'oppenheimer' game.

"This weekend has captured the cultural imagination in an unprecedented way," association President and CEO Michael O'Leary, told NPR in a statement. "People ... are flocking to the theatres in groups, with family, friends, neighbors, to celebrate two different, but amazing motion pictures."

Sixteen percent of the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema chain's guests have bought tickets to both films, a spokesperson for the chain, which has 39 locations, told NPR in an email Friday. Roughly two-thirds of those seeing both are starting with Oppenheimer , the spokesperson said.

NPR spoke to more than a half-dozen people at a Washington, D.C., movie theater who were there to see one or both movies Friday night. Several of them doing the double feature — either on the same day or back-to-back nights — said they were in it largely for the experience.

Mishaela Robison, who saw Barbie on Thursday, was back at the theater with two friends the next night to watch Oppenheimer and then Barbie again. They said they had decided earlier in the day to double on Barbie because they had loved it so much, and because they'd bought a movie subscription pass months ago to lower the cost.

They agreed they probably wouldn't be seeing the former — at least on opening weekend — if not for the latter.

"I wouldn't see Oppenheimer , but I would see Barbenheimer," Robison said.

What's the deal with these movies?

Both movies come from directors with devoted fanbases, feature ensemble casts and grapple with existential dread — to varying degrees.

Oppenheimer tells the story of American physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer (played by Peaky Blinders ' Cillian Murphy), who directed the Los Alamos Laboratory during World War II and helped develop the country's first nuclear weapons. Nolan has described him as "the most important person who ever lived."

'Barbie' is pretty in pink — but will she also be profitable?

Upon seeing the first successful bomb test in the New Mexico desert in 1945, Oppenheimer reportedly quoted a Hindu scripture: "Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds" — now available on a T-shirt in pink curlicue script, as it happens.

The three-hour epic is based on the Pulitzer-Prize winning book American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer by Martin Sherwin and Kai Bird. It's the 12th film by Nolan, whose previous blockbusters include "The Dark Knight" trilogy, Inception and Dunkirk .

Barbie , on the other hand, follows the Mattel icon (played by Margot Robbie) as she experiences an existential crisis: "Do you guys ever think about dying?" she asks on the dance floor at one point in the trailer.

Is 'Barbie' corporate propaganda or Malibu Metacommentary™? Why not both!

She and Ken (a very committed Ryan Gosling) leave idyllic-looking Barbieland behind to explore the real world and discover "the truth about the universe."

Indie director Gerwig wrote the screenplay with her partner Noah Baumbach. This is her third film as solo director, after Lady Bird and Little Women.

The movie, which clocks in at just under two hours, amounts to both corporate propaganda and Malibu metacommentary, NPR's Aisha Harris writes .

Advertisements for Oppenheimer and Barbie are seen above the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Friday. Valerie Macon/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

Advertisements for Oppenheimer and Barbie are seen above the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Friday.

Why did they come out on the same day?

It's increasingly rare for two such high-profile movies to hit theaters on the same day.

Some think it might have to do with Nolan leaving Warner Bros. (after its controversial decision to release its 2021 movies in theaters and on its streaming service simultaneously) and make Oppenheimer with Universal instead.

Their theory is that Warner Bros. chose to release Barbie the same day out of spite. When asked about this by Insider at a recent press event, Nolan chuckled and refused to answer.

Trinity and the Birth of the Atomic Bomb

'american prometheus' authors on 'the triumph and tragedy of j. robert oppenheimer'.

Opposite blockbusters have been pitted against each other in the past, like 10 Things I Hate About You opening against The Matrix in 1999. And, in a much-discussed parallel , Nolan's The Dark Knight premiered on the same day as Mamma Mia in the summer of 2008.

Experts say releasing two different genres of movies on the same day can actually be good for business, especially if they appeal to distinct demographics.

And it certainly appears to be fueling ticket sales for both Barbie and Oppenheimer , whose target audiences may not be as segmented as some originally thought.

One Twitter user went viral back in April for suggesting that there would be little overlap. He was immediately inundated with tweets — many from women in STEM — proving otherwise.

Did the 'Barbie' movie really cause a run on pink paint? Let's get the full picture

The Barbenheimer frenzy has reached a fever pitch in the weeks since.

Viral social media memes have poked fun at everything from the movies' opposing aesthetics to viewers' requisite costume changes to the sheer volume of the hype itself.

People have started making Barbie/Oppenheimer posters featuring a massive pink mushroom cloud. And sites like Etsy and Redbubble are selling all kinds of crossover T-shirts, mixing and matching the movies' slogans and visuals.

"It's Mattel versus the Manhattan Project and BarbenHeimer," Paul Dergarabedian, a senior media analyst for Comscore, told NPR's Mandalit del Barco . "That just means that this is going viral, and that's good news for both Barbie and Oppenheimer ."

What does an internet phenomenon look like in real life?

Deneen Nabinett and her daughters dressed up for Barbie on Friday, after seeing Oppenheimer the previous night. Rachel Treisman/NPR hide caption

Deneen Nabinett and her daughters dressed up for Barbie on Friday, after seeing Oppenheimer the previous night.

The crowd at the Regal Gallery Place in downtown D.C. was awash in hues of bright pink and glittering rhinestones on Friday night, as groups gathered in the lobby for evening showings of Barbie and, in some cases, Oppenheimer too.

Jeffrey Williams, rocking a replica of Robbie's Western-inspired outfit from the movie, was celebrating not only opening night but his 26th birthday. He had called ahead back in May to reserve a theater to screen Barbie with more than 50 friends.

"I'm just an extra human being ... if the outfit doesn't sell that enough, and so I thought it would be a fun way to celebrate," said Williams, who plans to see Oppenheimer next weekend. "I think it's probably the biggest movie cultural day in a while, so can't pass that up."

Even movie regulars said they were surprised by the size of the crowds.

Deneen Nabinett and her daughters say they come to the theater every Friday, but had to split their double feature into two nights in order to get their preferred seats. They saw Oppenheimer first on Thursday, and Nabinett said — on her way out of Barbie — that the order didn't really matter.

"Either way we wanted to see both of them, so I'm just glad it worked out," she said.

Not everyone NPR spoke with was in the midst of a double feature.

It's Been a Minute

The spectacular femininity of bimbos and 'barbie'.

Brandon Thomas said he's a fan of Nolan and has been waiting to see Oppenheimer for months — and says while he doesn't care much about Barbie, he'll probably see it eventually.

"I'm just glad people are in the theaters," he added.

And the costumes weren't only for Barbie . Robison dressed up for Oppenheimer , wearing a vintage, long-sleeved turquoise dress that she said her grandmother used to wear to work when she was around her age.

"It really reminds me of Barbie , even if it's not a Barbie fit, because it's about the ties of femininity and there's a really good line in [the movie] about mothers and daughters and the work mothers do so their daughters can see how far they've come," she explained. "And I have composed a very nice text to send her about all of this."

Robison, 24 and her friend Margaret Murphy, 23, compared Barbenheimer to another ongoing cultural phenomenon — Taylor Swift's Eras Tour, for which people have been dressing up in aesthetically similar outfits and shelling out money for Swift-themed merchandise and experiences, too.

"I feel a little bit of fomo with the Eras Tour," Murphy said. "And so getting to have my own little Eras Tour, where I got a dress for Barbie last night, and I felt like a little princess going to see Barbie, and it being so influential for my life, it felt like such a good, well-rounded moment."

Mishaela Robison and Margaret Murphy made Barbenheimer-themed friendship bracelets to give out at the theater in a nod to another cultural phenomenon, Taylor Swift's Eras Tour. Rachel Treisman/NPR hide caption

Mishaela Robison and Margaret Murphy made Barbenheimer-themed friendship bracelets to give out at the theater in a nod to another cultural phenomenon, Taylor Swift's Eras Tour.

The two even took a page out of the Eras Tour playbook by making friendship bracelets , which Swifties have been exchanging in the crowds at concerts. But instead of referencing Swift lyrics or album titles, their beaded creations said things like "Kenergy" and "Barbenheimer."

Robison said she had been inspired by that embrace of femininity and expression of solidarity and figured they would transfer well to Barbie too — she'd been giving out bracelets at the theater.

"And hopefully it'll be a cultural moment people remember," she added. "So maybe it'll go in a museum in a hundred years."

What's the ideal viewing order?

There's been so much chatter about seeing both movies that it's even spurred a spirited online debate : Which one should you watch first?

Spending five-plus hours in a movie theater is no small commitment, and there's been a lot of discussion on how best to go about it. Do you start with Oppenheimer and some strong coffee, and finish with Barbie and a dance party? Or do you ease in with a Barbie brunch so you can drag your depleted self straight to bed when it's all over?

Coffee and face masks at 10AM Mimosas and glam 11:30AM Barbie movie 2PM Joint at 4:30PM Olive Garden 5PM Oppenheimer 7PM Applebees Happy Hour 10PM https://t.co/eWowDFZzat — Jacqueline (@jvckierios) June 24, 2023

While public opinion seems to favor ending on a lighter note, there are compelling arguments to be made for each side, as Slate reports .

Some experts have weighed in, too.

Robbie, Barbie herself, called it a "perfect double bill" at her movie's premiere last week .

"I think actually start your day with 'Barbie,' then go straight into 'Oppenheimer' and then a 'Barbie' chaser," she said.

In search of tunes for your 'Barbenheimer' pregame? Look no further

Tom Cruise, whose latest "Mission: Impossible" movie opened in theaters last week, said at his premiere that he plans to see both, likely starting with Oppenheimer . Others have endorsed his approach.

"If you see Oppenheimer last then you might be a bit of a psychopath," Barbie actor Issa Rae said.

Gerwig told The Hollywood Reporter that she also recommends treating Barbie as a palate cleanser.

"I want to have mimosas and drinks and cocktails after Barbie , I don't want to, like, sulk," she said. "That's just my plan, as long as you're seeing Barbie I don't care."

What's Hollywood saying?

Those who worked on the movies appear to be enjoying the rivalry-turned-alliance.

A picture of Gerwig and Robbie posing with their Oppenheimer theater tickets last month, for example, sent the internet into another minor frenzy.

Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie with their opening night tickets for ‘OPPENHEIMER’. pic.twitter.com/VHwFuxst6d — DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) June 30, 2023

"I love that there's solidarity though, where people tried to pit us against one another but now it's turned into like a double-feature situation," Gerwig told THR .

She also told USA Today that she feels "very shiny" to be associated with Oppenheimer , adding that "a rising tide lifts all boats."

Nolan told Insider that many in the industry have been longing for "a crowded marketplace with a lot of different movies."

"That's what theaters have now, and those of us who care about movies are thrilled about that," he said.

3 lessons past Hollywood strikes can teach us about the current moment

Oppenheimer actor Emily Blunt, who wore "Barbie" pink heels to her movie's premiere, similarly told USA TODAY that the other film's cast has been "so supportive" toward hers.

"It doesn't have to be competitive!" she said. "It's really cool and that's what we want: that full spectrum of what you can see in movie theaters. We love it."

An important note: Now that SAG-AFTRA is on strike, the actors are officially prohibited from promoting their movies. That's why the Oppenheimer stars walked out of the London premiere last week, and why Robbie's glamorous parade of Barbie-inspired red carpet outfits was cut short.

And don't worry, you can watch the movies without crossing the proverbial picket line.

SAG-AFTRA is not calling for a consumer boycott of movie theaters or streaming services at this time, National Executive Director and Chief Negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland told NPR in an email.

"There may well come a time when we ask fans to send their message of support through direct economic action, but for now, we hope that they will inform themselves about our cause and share that information with their network of family, friends, and colleagues," he said.

• greta gerwig
• barbie movie
• Oppenheimer
• christopher nolan

Screen Rant

Tom cruise reveals whether he's seeing barbie or oppenheimer first.

Tom Cruise reveals whether he's going to see Barbie or Oppenheimer first in theaters, as Mission: Impossible 7 faces off against both movies.

Hollywood icon Tom Cruise reveals whether he is planning to watch Barbie or Oppenheimer first. Both major releases are set to open in theaters on July 21 and have been pitted against one another in one of the biggest box office battles of recent times. The Greta Gerwig-directed Barbie , based on the Mattel toy of the same name, stars Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, and will go toe to toe with Christopher Nolan's biographical thriller about J. Robert Oppenheimer's development of the nuclear bomb, in a battle that has been dubbed "Barbenheimer" on social media.

Cruise was recently in Sydney celebrating his 61st birthday by attending the Australian premiere of Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One , and spoke to The Sydney Morning Herald about the two movies releasing a week after the seventh installment of his beloved action spy franchise. Discussing the upcoming releases of Barbie and Oppenheimer , the Top Gun star revealed that he plans to see both films, and that he still enjoys going to the movies, stating, " I love seeing movies on the big screen ." Cruise said:

“I want to see both Barbie and Oppenheimer . I’ll see them opening weekend. Friday I’ll see Oppenheimer first and then Barbie on Saturday.”

How Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One Could Fare Against Barbie & Oppenheimer

Cruise has enjoyed one of the most successful and enduring careers in the film industry, and his Mission: Impossible franchise will compete with both Barbie and Oppenheimer over the summer, with Dead Reckoning due for a July 12 release. Cruise was reportedly outspoken about the movies taking IMAX screens from Dead Reckoning , which might impact its box office success. Hot off the back of Top Gun: Maverick 's mammoth 2022 box office haul of $1.496 billion, a lot of attention is being placed on how Mission: Impossible 7 fares.

Related: Dead Reckoning Beating Top Gun 2's Box Office Is Tom Cruise's Real Mission: Impossible

While Cruise's concerns may not be unfounded, the signs do seem to point to Mission: Impossible 7 doing just fine, with the previous installment passing the $800 million mark. Indeed, Dead Reckoning passing the coveted $1 billion threshold is not out of the question, which is expected to be enough to beat both Barbie and Oppenheimer , even if it did lose IMAX screens and also faces competition from Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny .

Projections certainly look strong for Mission: Impossible 7 , while early box office predictions have Barbie opening ahead of Oppenheimer . It is worth mentioning that despite the report indicating Cruise was unhappy with Dead Reckoning losing IMAX screens, he has been incredibly supportive of both Barbie and Oppenheimer , and has called on audiences to come out to theaters to see a wide variety of movies this summer. The competition between Barbie and Oppenheimer could mark the rebirth of the theatrical summer tentpole battles that were once a staple of the Hollywood box office.

Source: The Sydney Morning Herald

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Tom Cruise Is Doing an 'Oppenheimer' and 'Barbie' Double Feature Too: 'Doesn't Get More Explosive'

The "Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One" star shared his excitement for some of the upcoming films he wants to watch in theaters

Monica Schipper/WireImage

Tom Cruise is showing some love for his fellow filmmakers and actors!

The Hollywood icon — gearing up for the theatrical release of his own film Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One next month — took a break from his action-packed schedule to tweet about some of the summer movies he is looking forward to watching himself.

Among the films he praised were Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny , the long-awaited sequel starring Harrison Ford as the legendary adventurer (out Friday), the atomic-bomb biographical thriller Oppenheimer starring Cillian Murphy as J. Robert Oppenheimer and Barbie with Margot Robbie as the famous toy. The latter two films will be released on the same day: July 21.

“This summer is full of amazing movies to see in theaters,” Cruise wrote alongside photos of himself and his Dead Reckoning — Part One director Christopher McQuarrie in front of each of the films' respective posters.

"Congratulations, Harrison Ford, on 40 years of Indy and one of the most iconic characters in history," added the actor, 60, "I love a double feature, and it doesn't get more explosive (or more pink) than one with Oppenheimer and Barbie.”

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Cruise was recently on the red carpet in Rome for the world premiere of Dead Reckoning Part One, as previously reported by PEOPLE, praising how people of different cultures "all join together to enjoy cinema" as he gave a speech from the city's famous Spanish Steps, according to Variety .

"It’s something that I grew up with, that made me and inspired me to dream and want to travel the world," Cruise said. “My goal since I was little was to make movies and travel. And not just be a tourist, but work in that world and understand their culture."

"Through my movies, I’ve been able to have that because everyone here has allowed me to entertain them. It’s a privilege that I have never taken for granted," he continued in his speech, highlighting the importance of seeing movies in theaters. "It’s my passion to entertain you, and I will always fight for big theaters and that kind of experience for everyone.”

Cruise joined his longtime collaborator McQuarrie, 54, along with some of the stars of the film, such as Esai Morales , Simon Pegg , Frederick Schmidt, Shea Whigham , Mariela Garriga, Rebecca Ferguson , Hayley Atwell , Pom Klementieff and Vanessa Kirby .

TIZIANA FABI/AFP via Getty

The star complimented his collaboration with McQuarrie — who directed the last two Mission: Impossible movies and also wrote 2022's Top Gun: Maverick — during his speech, saying the director has "had a hand in every single film I’ve made over the past 16 years."

"He is my creative brother and an exceptional human being,” Cruise said.

McQuarrie and Cruise have been working together since at least 2008, when McQuarrie wrote the script for Valkyrie . He later directed Cruise for the first time in 2012’s Jack Reacher , which led to him becoming the Mission: Impossible franchise’s director starting with 2015’s Rogue Nation .

In the series’ newest entry since 2018,  Dead Reckoning Part One follows Cruise's Ethan Hunt and his IMF team racing their most perilous mission: to stop a horrifying weapon that endangers mankind before it’s too late.

Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One is in theaters July 12.

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Tom Cruise Endorses Your Barbie and Oppenheimer Double Feature

By Savannah Walsh

When Steven Spielberg proclaimed that Tom Cruise “saved Hollywood’s ass” with the unequivocal box office success of Top Gun: Maverick at last year’s Oscar nominees luncheon, Cruise took that to heart—and made it his mission to support the theatrical box office business for years to come.

Consider the opening bell on summer movie season rung. On Wednesday, Cruise shared photos of himself holding movie tickets for various big-screen titles alongside the following message: “This summer is full of amazing movies to see in theaters. Congratulations, Harrison Ford, on 40 years of Indy and one of the most iconic characters in history.” Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, the fifth installment in the blockbuster franchise, hits theaters on June 30.

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Cruise then acknowledged the two tentpoles that have become inextricably linked thanks to their shared release date— Greta Gerwig ’s Barbie, starring Margot Robbie, and Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer, starring Cillian Murphy. “I love a double feature, and it doesn’t get more explosive (or more pink) than one with Oppenheimer and Barbie ,” he said of the films, both of which debut on July 21.

He’s not the only A-lister to weigh in on the battle of atomic bomb versus arched foot. Matt Damon, who stars in Oppenheimer as General Leslie Groves, director of the top-secret Manhattan Project who appointed Oppenheimer as developer of nuclear weapons, also supports back-to-back viewing with Barbie . “People are allowed to go see two movies in a weekend. Oppenheimer is one of them!” he said with a laugh when asked about its box office competition by Vanity Fair at the Air premiere. But he admits his daughters may opt to see Barbie instead. “I’ll have to ask them that,” Damon said. If that’s the case, they’ll see two movies that weekend!”

Cruise’s own summer blockbuster, Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One is set to fly into theaters smack-dab in the middle of summer movie season, on July 12.

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Even Tom Cruise is planning a Barbie and Oppenheimer double feature

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Jessica is a staff writer at Entertainment Weekly, where she covers TV, movies, and pop culture. Her work has appeared in Bustle, NYLON, Cosmopolitan, InStyle, and more. She lives in California with her dog.

Tom Cruise , ex-husband of AMC ad sensation Nicole Kidman , is emboldening moviegoers to flock to the theaters this summer.

The movie star encouraged a double feature of Greta Gerwig 's Barbie and Christopher Nolan 's Oppenheimer, both in theaters July 21, in a Twitter post celebrating the riches of the summer movie season. That also includes James Mangold 's Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny , which marks Harrison Ford 's last outing as the famed archaeologist.

"This summer is full of amazing movies to see in theaters," Cruise wrote. "Congratulations, Harrison Ford, on 40 years of Indy and one of the most iconic characters in history. I love a double feature, and it doesn't get more explosive (or more pink) than one with Oppenheimer and Barbie ."

Cruise will also be fronting a blockbuster this summer with Mission Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One , in theaters July 12. The pressure's on, as Cruise's last summer outing, Top Gun: Maverick , grossed a staggering $1.5 billion worldwide. In the aftermath of its success, filmmaker Steven Spielberg was overheard telling Cruise that he was "saving Hollywood's ass" as the industry attempts to rebound from the pandemic.

As for the Barbie vs. Oppenheimer discourse, Matt Damon , who stars opposite Cillian Murphy in the war drama, previously encouraged a double feature , telling Vanity Fair last month, "People are allowed to go see two movies in a weekend. Oppenheimer is one of them!" As for which title his family would prefer to hit first (Damon shares four daughters with wife Luciana Barroso), he said, "I'll have to ask them that. If that's the case, they'll see two movies that weekend!"

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Tom Cruise Is a Barbie - Oppenheimer Double-Feature Evangelist

Tom Cruise is going door-to-door spreading the gospel. The Barbie and Oppenheimer double-feature gospel, that is, a church in which Matt Damon also belongs . These two big-budget summer blockbusters will debut on the same day, which leads some to pit each movie’s box-office numbers against the other or vow to see both of them in a doubleheader. Cruise is a part of the latter sect. “This summer is full of amazing movies to see in theaters,” the Mission Impossible star tweeted. “Congratulations, Harrison Ford, on 40 years of Indy and one of the most iconic characters in history,” he wrote before adding the important bit about an atom-bomb procedural epic and an existentialist movie about a plastic doll. “I love a double feature, and it doesn’t get more explosive (or more pink) than one with Oppenheimer and Barbie,” he finished. Cruise included pictures of himself and an executive holding movie tickets to each film mentioned. The real question, though, is the order one should view the movies. Is there a universally acknowledged sequence that one must view to get the best possible experience? Cruise doesn’t give us insight in his tweet. He needs to hurry up and make a suggestion before some brave soul tries to watch both films at the same time and ends up subconsciously associating Barbie with congressional hearings about nukes.

• why not both?
• oppenheimer

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Tom Cruise Is Planning To See Both "Barbie" And "Oppenheimer" On Opening Weekend, And He's Already Decided Which One He's Going To First

“I want to see both Barbie and Oppenheimer . I’ll see them opening weekend."

BuzzFeed Staff

Even Tom Cruise is on the " Barbenheimer " train, though he isn't technically planning a back-to-back double feature.

For the past several weeks, Tom has been all over the world promoting his latest film in the Mission: Impossible series: Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One. The film comes out July 12, which is a little over a week before the films Barbie and Oppenheimer head to theaters July 21.

All this, combined with the recent release of the latest  Indiana Jones  film,  Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny , has made it a busy time at the box office. Fortunately, Tom appears to be the supportive movie star, publicly posting on Twitter last week about his excitement over the three new films he isn't in.

This summer is full of amazing movies to see in theaters. Congratulations, Harrison Ford, on 40 years of Indy and one of the most iconic characters in history. I love a double feature, and it doesn't get more explosive (or more pink) than one with Oppenheimer and Barbie. pic.twitter.com/udWHHj4fAe — Tom Cruise (@TomCruise) June 28, 2023

Barbie  director Greta Gerwig and the film's star Margot Robbie quickly followed suit and posed with tickets to  Indiana Jones ,  Oppenheimer , and  Mission: Impossible.

Mission: Accepted! pic.twitter.com/DJ2gm5e4XU — Barbie Movie (@barbiethemovie) June 30, 2023

Since  Barbie  and  Oppenheimer  drop the same day, some moviegoers have to decide which film to see first, with many dubbing the double-film event "Barbenheimer."

We’re into Barbenheimer month. Choose your fighter. pic.twitter.com/me54rFcO4Y — Queen's Film Theatre (@QFTBelfast) July 3, 2023

Well, it turns out Tom already has his plan figured out for the July 21 weekend, and he's not planning a same-day screening of both films.

“I want to see both Barbie and Oppenheimer . I’ll see them opening weekend. Friday I’ll see Oppenheimer first, and then Barbie on Saturday," he told the Sydney Morning Herald on July 3.

If it isn't already clear, Tom is a big fan of seeing films in theaters. “I grew up seeing movies on the big screen. That’s how I make them, and I like that experience; it’s immersive, and to have that as a community and an industry, it’s important,” he told the publication. “I still go [to] the movies.”

So there's Tom's plan. What about yours? Tell us in the comments below whether you plan to see Barbie or Oppenheimer first.

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Tom Cruise is all in on Barbie-Oppenheimer double feature: ‘It doesn’t get more explosive (or more pink)’

Fans have been debating what order to see the blockbusters, which both release on 21 july, article bookmarked.

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It’s less than a month until two of the biggest movies of the year are released on the same day – and Tom Cruise is excited.

Greta Gerwig ’s Barbie – starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling – and Christopher Nolan ’s Oppenheimer – starring Cillian Murphy – are both due for release on 21 July.

As a result, cinemagoers have been planning on watching the two blockbusters as a double feature and are now debating in what order to watch them.

Cruise, whose own summer action film Mission: Impossible – Dead Ref10ckoning Part One is out on 12 July, has expressed his desire to see the movies back-to-back.

In a tweet shared on Wednesday (28 June), the 60-year-old Top Gun star also praised Harrison Ford on his fifth and final Indiana Jones movie, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny , which is released in cinemas on Friday 30 June.

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“This summer is full of amazing movies to see in theatres,” Cruise wrote.

“Congratulations, Harrison Ford, on 40 years of Indy and one of the most iconic characters in history. I love a double feature, and it doesn’t get more explosive (or more pink) than one with Oppenheimer and Barbie .”

Cruise is known for passionately promoting the cinema industry. Earlier this year, Steven Spielberg was filmed telling the actor he’d “saved Hollywood’s ass” thanks to his $1.5bn-grossing Top Gun revival, Maverick.

At the Dead Reckoning UK premiere last week, Cruise told Insider : “I’m always pushing. I just remember, every time they say, ‘Can you top it? Can you not top it?’, we’re always pushing.

“Every film I do, whatever genre it’s in, I want to make it as entertaining as possible for that audience. I know I can do things better.”

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In the seventh film in the Mission: Impossible franchise, Cruise join forces with Avengers star Hayley Atwell to track down a terrifying new weapon that threatens humanity.

For the most part, reviewers have fawned over Cruise and the film’s breathtaking action sequences . Back in April, the star treated Cinemacon attendees to an “epic” 20-minute motorcycle chase sequence from the movie , which saw the 60-year-old action star bombing around the Italian capital.

Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One is out in cinemas 12 July.

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Tom Cruise to watch ‘Oppenheimer’ and ‘Barbie’ in theatres on opening day

Entertainment hollywood.

Actor plans to watch ‘Oppenheimer’ first and ‘Barbie’ the next day

Hollywood actor Tom Cruise is set to watch ‘Barbie’ and ‘Oppenheimer’ on their opening day, which will be two of the biggest movies releasing this month.

“I want to see both Barbie and Oppenheimer. I’ll see them opening weekend,” he said as per ‘The Sydney Morning Herald’.

“Friday I’ll see ‘Oppenheimer’ first and then ‘Barbie’ on Saturday.”

Both films are set to hit theatres on July 21 and will compete for audiences at the box office. Cruise is a big proponent of watching movies in the theatres as that’s the way he grew up.

The ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ star further added: “I grew up seeing movies on the big screen. That’s how I make them, and I like that experience; it’s immersive, and to have that as a community and an industry, it’s important.”

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“I still go the movies.” The actor has made no secret watching these exciting cinematic ventures on the big screen on their first day.

Back in June, the actor had tweeted his excitement about the two upcoming films.

He had tweeted: “I love a double feature, and it doesn’t get more explosive (or more pink) than one with ‘Oppenheimer’ and ‘Barbie’.

After breaking box office records with his military action film with ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ last year, the actor is all geared to up the ante with the highly anticipated seventh installment of his upcoming spy-thriller-action franchise Mission Impossible with ‘Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part One’.

The movie is poised to release on July 12, a week before ‘Oppenheimer’ and ‘Barbie’.

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Tom Cruise Reveals If He's Seeing 'Barbie' or 'Oppenheimer' First

By Stephen Andrew - July 7, 2023 03:43 pm EDT

Tom Cruise has revealed if he'll be seeing Barbie or Oppenheimer first when both films open on July 21. Speaking to the  The Sydney Morning Herald , Crusie confessed, "I want to see both Barbie and Oppenheimer." He then added,"I'll see them opening weekend. Friday I'll see Oppenheimer first and then Barbie on Saturday."

Going on to share his love of experiencing movies in a theater, Cruise offered, "I grew up seeing movies on the big screen. That's how I make them, and I like that experience." He continued, "It's immersive, and to have that as a community and an industry, it's important. I still go the movies." Notably, Barbie and Oppenheimer open a little over a week after Cruise's new movie  Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One  premieres in theaters on July 12. It was previously alleged, per Screen Rant , that Crusie was upset over the two films taking screens away from his, though the claims were never proven.

This summer is full of amazing movies to see in theaters. Congratulations, Harrison Ford, on 40 years of Indy and one of the most iconic characters in history. I love a double feature, and it doesn't get more explosive (or more pink) than one with Oppenheimer and Barbie. pic.twitter.com/udWHHj4fAe — Tom Cruise (@TomCruise) June 28, 2023

Barbie stars Margot Robbie as the iconic doll , along with Ryan Gosling as Ken. The film follows the pair as they set out on an adventure in the real world, after leaving Barbie Land. Other stars of the film include America Ferrera, Kate McKinnon, Issa Rae, Rhea Perlman, and Will Ferrell, among others. The movie is directed by Greta Gerwig, from a script she wrote with Noah Baumbach.

Oppenheimer is a biopic-thriller about the life of J. Robert Oppenheimer, the theoretical physicist who helped develop the first nuclear weapons. It is directed, written and co-produced by Christopher Nolan, and is based on the 2005 biography American Prometheus by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin. Cillian Murphy stars as Oppenheimer, with additional performances from a star-studded cast that includes Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Robert Downey Jr., and Florence Pugh.

In addition to Cruise, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One brings back Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson, and Vanessa Kirby. Esai Morales plays the villain this time around, and   Agent Carter  star Hayley Atwell  is added as well. Other franchise newcomers include Frederick Schmidt, Sea Whigham, Pom Klementieff, and Cary Elwes.

M:I – Dead Reckoning Part One is directed by Christopher McQuarrie, from a script he wrote with Erik Jendresen. It marks the seventh movie in the film franchise after Mission: Impossible (1996), Mission: Impossible 2 (2000), Mission: Impossible III (2006), Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol (2011), Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation (2015), and Mission: Impossible – Fallout (2018). Next up will be Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part Two , which is currently in post-production and scheduled to be released in 2024.

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Tom Cruise reveals which film he will watch first: 'Oppenheimer' or 'Barbie'

Tom cruise is currently on tour promoting his upcoming film 'mission: impossible-dead reckoning part one'. during one of his interviews, he displayed immense support towards 'barbie' and 'oppenheimer', that are releasing just 10 days after cruise's film..

Listen to Story

• Tom Cruise will be next seen in 'Mission: Impossible-Dead Reckoning Part One'.
• The film is scheduled for a release on July 12.
• It is the seventh installment in the franchise.

TOM CRUISE TALKS ABOUT HIS BARBIE-OPPENHEIMER PLANS

On Monday, July 3, Tom Cruise celebrated his 61st birthday by attending the Australian premiere of 'Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning Part One' at Darling Harbour’s International Convention Centre in Sydney. Cruise was joined by co-stars Hayley Atwell, Pom Klementieff, and Simon Pegg.

When he was asked about which film he will watch first, out of 'Barbie' and 'Oppenheimer', he said, “I want to see both Barbie and Oppenheimer. I’ll see them opening weekend. Friday I’ll see Oppenheimer first and then Barbie on Saturday," Tom told The Sydney Morning Herald, when he was in the Australian capital for the premiere of the upcoming film.

'Oppenheimer', starring Cillian Murphy in the titular role of nuclear scientist, Robert Oppenheimer; and 'Barbie', starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling in a film based on the Mattel Barbie and Ken dolls, will release in cinemas on the same day, July 21. Tom's action thriller 'Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One' will hit the theatres only nine days prior to that, on July 12.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Tom Cruise (@tomcruise)

In the span of nine days in July, movie fans are going to be in heaven. On July 12, Tom Cruise's Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One , releases worldwide, then on July 21 we get the one-two punch of Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer and Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie's Barbie . There probably hasn't been a run of such highly anticipated movies releasing in such a short window since pre-COVID; all three movies made WTW's list of blockbuster movies we're excited to see this summer.

As of publication, there's still more than a month before any of those movies are available to watch, but a rivalry among the three of them is already brewing. 

The one between Oppenhimer and Barbie has been talked about for a while, pretty much since we learned they were going to release on the same day. But a recent report by Puck News revealed that Tom Cruise may have his own beef over Oppenheimer taking away IMAX movie screens away from the latest Mission: Impossible and is pushing to change their minds.

Most of this is just business and hype around these movies. As Matt Damon, who stars in Oppenheimer , correctly pointed out , there is no rule against people going to only one movie in a weekend; there are even ways to help make multiple trips more affordable with movie theater subscriptions and membership deals if that's a worry. We know we'll certainly be seeing these movies on the big screen as soon as we can. Oppenheimer and Barbie could make for a fun double feature.

But, in all fairness, it is kind of fun to stack these movies against each other. We'll have to wait to see how they compare at the box office, but we can find out right now how excited you, the average moviegoer, are about each one of these films.

So, between the new Mission: Impossible , Oppenheimer and Barbie , which one are you most eager to see?

You can cast your vote in the poll below, but here's a brief rundown of each movie in case you need some additional info to help make your pick.

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Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One

Release date : July 12 Starring : Tom Cruise, Rebecca Ferguson, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Hayley Atwell, Vanessa Kirby, Pom Klementieff, Esai Morales, Cary Elwes, Indira Varma, Shea Whigham and Henry Czerny What's it about : Dead Reckoning is the seventh movie in Cruise's Mission: Impossible franchise, and as the Part One of the title suggests, the first half of a larger story. We don't know a lot of plot specifics, but we do know it is going to deliver another incredible Tom Cruise stunt , which some are calling his biggest stunt ever . It has felt like each Mission: Impossible movie has been better than the last (OK, maybe not Mission: Impossible II ), we can only hope that continues here.

Release date : July 21 Starring : Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, Will Ferrell, Kate McKinnon, Simu Liu, Helen Mirren, John Cena, Emma Mackey, Michael Cera, Issa Rae, Kingsley Ben-Adir and plenty more. What it's about : Greta Gerwig wrote the script with her partner Noah Baumbach ( Marriage Story ), so get ready to have your expectations rocked for what a Barbie movie can be. From the trailer, Barbie (Robbie) begins to have questions about the Barbie-centric world she inhabits and must venture into the real world to get some answers. The movie looks colorful, absolutely hilarious and stuffed to the brim with fun actors.

Oppenheimer

Release date : July 21 Starring : Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Robert Downey Jr., Florence Pugh, Jack Quaid, Gary Oldman, Olivia Thirlby, Josh Peck and Benny Safdie What it's about : Nolan tells the story of J. Robert Oppenheimer, considered the father of the atomic bomb. If that doesn't necessarily sound like a blockbuster movie to you, consider that Nolan reportedly recreated a nuclear explosion without the use of CGI. Add in that he shot the movie in IMAX, it has a reported three-hour run time and it is the first R-rated movie of Nolan's in 20 years and there's plenty of intrigue around Oppenheimer .

Let us know which of the three movies you are most excited to see when they release in July (though we hope you see all of them).

Michael Balderston is a DC-based entertainment and assistant managing editor for What to Watch, who has previously written about the TV and movies with TV Technology, Awards Circuit and regional publications. Spending most of his time watching new movies at the theater or classics on TCM, some of Michael's favorite movies include Casablanca , Moulin Rouge! , Silence of the Lambs , Children of Men , One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest and Star Wars . On the TV side he enjoys Only Murders in the Building, Yellowstone, The Boys, Game of Thrones and is always up for a Seinfeld rerun. Follow on Letterboxd .

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Barbie or Oppenheimer? Check which side are Tom Cruise, Matt Damon and other Hollywood stars on

Here's how some of the hollywood stars have reacted on the prospective battle- “oppenheimer vs barbie”, which is also being hailed as "the bomb vs bombshell"..

Film Pundits are speculating on which of the two upcoming Hollywood movies namely Oppenheimer and Barbie, would do the best on the box office. The battle between the two multi-starrer films is further interesting because both are getting released on July 21, 2023. For some fans,it's a double bonanza and they are referrring the two movies together as “Barbenheimer”.

Oppenheimer's star cast includes big names like Robert Downey Jr. , Matt Damon and Cillian Murphy. The movie is based on the Pulitzer Prize–winning biography American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer. Oppenheimer was an American physicist who is known as the "father of the atomic bomb" for his major contribution in the Manhattan Project which ultimately led to the development of world's first nuclear weapons.

"Barbie" is a fantasy movie based on the Barbie fashion dolls by Mattel, an American toy manufacturing company. Directed by Greta Gerwig, the movie's story revolves around how Barbie and Ken explore the real world after being expelled from "Barbie Land" for being less-than-perfect dolls. Ryan Gosling and Margot Robbie are the lead actor and actress respectively in the film.

“I want to see both Barbie and Oppenheimer. I’ll see them opening weekend. Friday I’ll see Oppenheimer first and then Barbie on Saturday," Tom told The Sydney Morning Herald, when he was in the Australian capital for the premiere of Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning - Part One.

“People are allowed to go see two movies in a weekend. Oppenheimer is one of them!” Damon told Vanity Fair in May. On being told that his four daughters might prefer to watch Barbie, Damon said: “I’ll have to ask them that. If that’s the case, they’ll see two movies that weekend!”.

Cillian Murphy

“I mean, I’ll be going to see Barbie, 100 per cent. I can’t wait to see it. I think it’s just great for the industry and for audiences, that we have two amazing films by amazing filmmakers coming out on the same day. You can spend the whole day in the cinema – what’s better than that?, ”Murphy told IGN recently.

• Christopher Nolan

“Summer, in a healthy marketplace, is always crowded, and we’ve been doing this a long time. I think for those of us who care about movies, we’ve been really waiting to have a crowded marketplace again, and now it’s here and that’s terrific,” Nolan told IGN recently.

• Margot Robbie

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For actor Matthew Modine, biking is a "tool for consciousness" and facing life's uphill battles

From “oppenheimer” to “stranger things” and “hard miles,” modine shares how his acting career reflects his values, by alli joseph.

As the son of a drive-in theater manager, actor Matthew Modine grew up watching movies. “I always enjoyed films that were about problem-solving,” he told me on "Salon Talks." “And I never wanted to play bad guys. I didn't want to be the person who was causing problems . . . I wanted to be a person who was providing a solution.” Ideologically, Modine believes that actors have a personal responsibility for impacting people’s lives. And he lives it. Citing Native American sensibility, he notes, “What we have to do all the time in our lives is think and to try to look at [the] totality of our decisions, the things that we do.”

That sensibility is at play in every role he takes. Nearly 40 years ago, he passed on the lead role of Maverick in "Top Gun," which eventually went to Tom Cruise and was the highest-grossing domestic film of that year. He found the story’s focus on “war pornography” disturbing, he said. “I didn't want to be in a movie that perpetuated this idea that 'those people are bad and we are good.' And 'We're right, you're wrong.' I just thought the whole movie was silly.” Modine's more recent roles, like Vannevar Bush (the scientist and creator of the Manhattan Project) in " Oppenheimer ," can be hard to square with his stance on nuclear power. While he was honored to portray Bush for director Christopher Nolan as an important part of history, he balanced it by executive producing a documentary called “Downwind,” about the lethal effects of nuclear testing on American soil.

Modine has been living what he advocates for many years as an environmentalist and also riding bicycles since he arrived in New York City as a struggling actor (he relied on a beach cruiser to get to auditions). So when his latest film "Hard Miles" (in theaters April 19) came along it had strong appeal: overcoming adversity, solving problems and cycling as a metaphor for freedom. Modine plays cycling coach Greg Townsend on a 760-mile bike trip that he rides with incarcerated students from Colorado’s Rite of Passage’s Ridge View Academy (a medium-security correctional school). Cycling from Denver to the Grand Canyon, the characters — based on real people — struggle mentally and physically, learning many life lessons. "It's always about how much you're willing to push yourself," Modine said of the journey.

Watch my "Salon Talks" here on YouTube or read our conversation below to hear more about why Modine believes so strongly in building a career that reflects his personal values and politics and why he thinks his "Stranger Things" co-star Millie Bobby Brown and her fiancé Jake Bongiovi (the son of Jon Bon Jovi) asked him to officiate their upcoming wedding.

The following conversation has been lightly edited for clarity and length.

Did you ride here on your bike?

I didn't. No, I just finished work, so it was a short walk from the New York Public Library over here.

Tell me a little bit about your character Greg Townsend in "Hard Miles."

It’s based on a true story. Greg Townsend worked at this academy. He's a bicyclist. And he got the idea that what if I was able to teach these young people how to build bicycles so that they would create something that they would be proud of, that they would have their input and their life put into the building of a bicycle, that they'd be proud of the thing that they created. And then what if I took them on an arduous ride so that they could see that the world is bigger than the troubled home that they came from, that they could see that the world's bigger than the gang that they were a part of before they ended up in this facility?

"I never wanted to play bad guys."

If you're looking for a visual, imagine the horse that has the blinders on, and he's not able to have any peripheral vision. He's just able to see this part of the world. And so what Greg was able to do was to take them out into the world and help them expand their vision, to help give them peripheral vision, and see that there's much more to life than the little problems that are consuming them in their actual lives.

And the real Greg Townsend, tell us about him.

Greg was there for most of the filming. He always rode his bike to work. And there were some extraordinary . . . When we were in Northern California up near Mount McKinley, not only did he ride about 30 miles to get to the location, but he did a vertical mile to get up the mountain to the location. And he'd get up there and not even breathing hard.

How old is he now?

He's about 60.

I'm so impressed.

Yeah, me too.

“Hard Miles” is a journey film and a triumph over adversity film — physical and mental. This is the story of these real hard-luck kids. They are juvenile offenders sort of given a second chance, but not valued or validated except by your character, and perhaps the social worker who's along for the ride. She's a great balance for you in the film.

She really is, yeah. You needed her. Cynthia [Kay McWilliams] is a wonderful actor. And she grounds the story. Without her, I don't know how the story would've worked. It'd be very different.

We need social workers to help level the field of some of these emotional reactions.

Absolutely.

You've been a cyclist since you were 18, coming here to New York as an impoverished actor. I've read the story about you getting a beach cruiser to ride around New York to your auditions. “Hard Miles” is set in Grand Canyon Village, 6,000-something feet above sea level, and these roads are no joke. What was your training like for the film?

The training was on-the-job training because there wasn't a lot of time from the time that the boys, the younger kids in the film were cast to going on location and filming. They were sort of training on the job. And doing hard miles. The movie is appropriately titled. And you do a take and they say, "OK, let's do it again," and you have to ride back and do it again.

So, we did a lot of miles in riding up and down the mountains and, "Let's do it again." And then I think the hardest thing was when we rode through the Navajo Nation, and just at the rim of the Grand Canyon it was 115 [degrees], and the heat coming up off the blacktop made it even hotter. The agony that you see as we're pedaling through that long, long road through the desert, there was no acting involved. You just had to put your head down and go and push.

That's crazy. I did a road trip Arizona through Diné, actually, territory, and Navajo in August. It's brutal out there.

Yeah, it is brutal.

There are a lot of metaphors in this film, among them that life can be uphill and feel like a challenge for anyone. What does cycling represent for you in real life?

Well, bicycling is one of the most tangible ways of explaining democracy. When the suffragettes were fighting for the right to vote, the women were not really allowed to drive carriages. They weren't allowed to ride horses, but there were no rules about the bicycles, so the bicycle became a symbol of freedom for women's rights and women's equality. I think that's amazing. 

But I think that for young people today who are so caught up in their phones and social media, the thing about a bicycle is that if you want to be present and in the moment, ride a bicycle, because if you're looking at your phone when you're riding a bicycle, particularly around a place like New York City, you're just asking for trouble, you're asking to get hurt.

"That's what film and television and theater has the potential to do — to help make the monsters go away, to illuminate."

The bicycle is a tool for consciousness and awareness and also a kind of meditation that, especially on a hard ride where you're going through the desert . . . And we show that in the film the kind of nightmares and memories that people start to go through as they're suffering. And it's a sort of way of sweating those things out of your body. I made a movie a long time ago called "Vision Quest," and there I think are similarities in the journey that Louden Swain goes on in " Vision Quest " that echo the journey that these kids go on. In wrestling, you're always wrestling against yourself. You're seeing how far you're willing to push yourself. And I think when you're part of a Peloton, riding bicycles, that it's always about how much you're willing to push yourself to be able to discover your personal strength and vulnerabilities.

Well, those who know me know I couldn't agree with you more, that cycling is therapy for me and it really is a way to sort of get everything out. And it's meditation, if you understand it. You have a very long history in TV and film. What draws you to these kinds of triumphant stories?

I suppose my father was a drive-in theater manager, and I grew up watching movies. And I always enjoyed films that were about problem solving. And I never wanted to play bad guys. I didn't want to be the person who was causing problems. I wanted to be a person who was providing a solution. There's so much suffering in the world that why wouldn't we want to go and learn about people that are reducing that suffering and finding solutions to problems that make our lives better? I'm attracted to those kinds of stories.

I know because of that background of the drive-in theater and seeing how movies and television affect people's lives, that when you come into people's homes on a television, when you're projected onto a motion picture screen larger than life, when you stand on a stage and do a play, the things that you do and the things that you say will have an impact on people's lives. I absolutely respect that, that people are going to be impacted. And so it can be a tool of propaganda that is detrimental to society, or it can be something that . . . My grandmother used to say that, "The room is full of monsters when it's dark." And she said, "It only takes turning on the light to make the monsters go away.” That's what film and television and theater has the potential to do — to help make the monsters go away, to illuminate.

In 2020, you told Salon's Chauncey DeVega that you have chosen, "in my personal life to be on the right side of history." Can you explain what that means to you today?

I'm reading a book right now called “The Pursuit of Happiness.” And Benjamin Franklin was someone who kept slaves, George Washington was someone who kept slaves, and they all recognized that it was a cruel and inhuman thing to do, but they all appreciated the luxury and the convenience that came with owning another human being to do things that you didn't want to do. Now, I think that Benjamin Franklin is one of the brightest, most moral people in our nation's history and the fact that he recognized, the fact that he was doing something that was wrong and cruel, but so he did get on the right side of it. Abraham Lincoln was for slavery until he was against it.

"What are the repercussions of the decisions I make today? What will they have on people that are not yet born?"

What we have to do all the time in our lives is think and to try to look at the circumstances in its totality of our decisions, the things that we do. So, I'm an environmentalist, and I do everything that I can to be on the right side of that history, to leave the world a better place for my grandchildren and my great-grandchildren. They say that we don't plant trees for ourselves, we plant them for our great-grandchildren because we will never enjoy the shade of those trees. So that kind of Native American wisdom that that story comes from, the planting trees for our great-grandchildren, that's where that seventh generation comes in.

I actually have a production company called Seventh Generation Stories. It’s the same concept, which stems from the conservation philosophy from the Iroquois Confederacy, the First Governance. It says that you should always leave things in a way that will be better for seven generations living afterward. And it's why in indigenous culture it's auspicious to have a centenarian and an infant alive at the same time because it doesn't happen that often. So, it's a beautiful way to live. I try to live that way. Sounds like you do as well.

I try. What are the repercussions of the decisions I make today? What will they have on people that are not yet born? We live unfortunately in the United States that I don't know that we're even a democracy anymore, we're a corporatocracy and we're making decisions that are based on financial gain. And with eight billion people on the planet, it's unsustainable. We can't make decisions that are just based on finance and profit. It won't work. We're consuming the Earth's resources at an unsustainable pace.

You have shown in your film choices over the years that the personal is political by turning down roles that became huge blockbusters. Examples include Maverick in “Top Gun,” Marty McFly in “Back to the Future,” and Charlie Sheen's character in “Wall Street.”

I did, yeah.

Are you sorry about any of those choices?

Marty McFly I would've loved to have done. But Eric Stoltz is a dear friend of mine, and they had let Eric go. He was playing the part, and then they said, "You have 24 hours to make a decision about replacing him." And I wanted to know, "Why did you fire Eric Stoltz?" That didn't make sense. But in fact, I can't imagine a better actor than Michael J. Fox playing that part. I'm 6’3.

Can you fit in a DeLorean?

[Laughs]. And this is not to make Michael J. Fox small, but there's something about . . . If you think of a Jack Russell and a Labrador, let's say that it needed a Jack Russell. And Marty McFly and Michael J. Fox, he was that Jack Russell. Michael J. Fox in that movie is always on the front of his foot, leaning in, ready to fight.

He was relentlessly attentive and determined.

So, I didn't turn that down for political or philosophical reasons. I just didn't see myself playing the role.

But “Top Gun,” absolutely. I didn't want to be in a movie that perpetuated this idea that those people are bad and we are good. And we're right, you're wrong. I'm right. I'm smart, you're stupid. I just didn't want to be a part of something like that. I just thought the whole movie was silly. It was what I would call war pornography.

There's plenty of it.

People like war pornography. There's a big market for it.

You mentioned your environmentalism. You executive produced a documentary called “Downwind,” released last year and narrated by Martin Sheen, that chronicles the lethal effects that nuclear testing has had on American soil, and specifically on U.S. citizens who are downwind from toxic chemicals. Many of them are indigenous people in the Southwestern states. So, tell us how you square our own politics with playing roles like the brilliant nuclear scientist that you just played in “Oppenheimer,” Vannevar Bush, creator of the Manhattan Project.

Well, to be invited to be part of the ensemble of Christopher Nolan's “Oppenheimer” was a great honor. And it's the second time I've worked with Christopher and his wife Emma. They're incredibly talented, gifted storytellers, and so it was an obvious honor to do it. And then a bunch of actors that I hadn't worked with that I really admire, including Matt Damon. Robert Downey [Jr.] and I started out in the business at the same time, so it was nice to reconnect with Robert. I'm really pleased for him and all of the success that the film brought him. Cillian Murphy, I'm just a great admirer of him, and he lived up to everything that I hoped that he might. He was extraordinary, and such a gentleman, so Irish in all the best qualities of being Irish. A poet. He really is a poet.

But that's an important story to tell about . . . When I started kindergarten in San Diego, Imperial Beach, California, we were still crawling under our desk, doing duck and cover drills, and it was frightening. I remember very vividly, there was a song that came out, "The End of the World." And of course it's a love song, but to me . . . I remember asking my older brothers, "Does this mean, because crawling under the desk, that the end of the world is near?" And they terrified me and said, "Yes, of course." And then the Vietnam War happened, and all the instability that comes to a child through those kind of horrors. Death and destruction seems so imminent.

Always. And even more so. It continues.

So my brother Maury, he's the one that got me really involved mentally about the Downwinders. I was watching the news and he was being arrested on CNN, handcuffed. And the microphone came pushed into his face, and they said, "Why are you protesting?" And my brother said, "They know they work. Why do they have to test them?" And I think it was the most important simple statement ever made, that since the Trinity Test that Oppenheimer covers, why did they need to keep testing them — especially after dropping them on human beings twice in Japan, in Nagasaki and Hiroshima that caused the death and suffering of hundreds of thousands of people? So, why do we need to keep testing them? And there's no logical explanation for why they need to keep testing them. And they're talking about starting it up again, and testing them in our near future.

I have memories of not being able to drink the milk when Three Mile Island had leaks here in New York when I was a kid. I think most of the past few generations have had some experience, unfortunately, with this awareness, this fear of being poisoned to death.

I was in England when Chernobyl happened. My wife was nursing and they said, "It's not a problem unless you're a nursing mother," which my wife was. Because the radiation gets in the breast milk. And yeah, it's a real nightmare. It's a real nightmare.

Last question, I'm going to throw one away for the Gen Z-ers. It’s been widely publicized that you're going to officiate "Stranger Things" castmate Millie Bobby Brown's wedding. Yes? How did this come about?

She asked me. She must have talked to Jake, and they had a conversation. And I honestly don't know how it happened, but it's a great honor. I had married a dear friend of mine during COVID. It was an outdoor wedding. It was extraordinary when you think that people are coming together that when you say, "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here," it's "we" – it becomes a kind of beautiful spiritual gathering of people . . . because this is not an arranged marriage, this is a marriage of choice, and there's something that's beautiful about that. To be the person who gets to officiate, and to join those two people, and give them some, I don't want to say advice, but share some thoughts about the journey that we can make together as human beings, I'm really chuffed that they asked me to be the guy that does it.

And where can everyone see "Hard Miles"?

It opens on April 19th at 600 theaters across the United States, so I encourage you to go see it in a movie theater because it's really beautiful. The photography is stunning. And it's just fun to go be in a room with a bunch of people and experience a movie together. Quite different than watching a movie sitting on your couch and being disrupted by your phone. Going to a movie theater, having grown up with my father's drive-in movie theaters and movie theaters in Utah, there's nothing like it. It's better to go to movies with people and watch it together.

"Salon Talks" with actors

• Lisa Ann Walter says "Abbott" feels like home
• "You want a big mountain to climb": "The Bear" star on why Cousin Richie is so satisfying to play
• J. Smith-Cameron knows why you loved Gerri and Roman on "Succession": "It was kind of sexy"

Alli Joseph is a writer/producer and family historian; a Native New Yorker, she is a member of the Shinnecock Indian Nation.

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Tom Cruise looks terrified as he films dramatic Mission Impossible 8 scenes in London

• Callum Wells , Showbiz Reporter
• Published : 7:00 ET, Apr 15 2024
• Updated : 10:38 ET, Apr 15 2024
• Published : Invalid Date,

TOM Cruise looked terrified as he filmed dramatic Mission Impossible 8 scenes in London today.

Actor Tom , 61, was seen filming the upcoming blockbuster near Downing Street , playing out a scene where his character appeared to be captured by the enemy.

The Hollywood movie star was seen holding his hands up in surrender while in-character as protagonist, Ethan Hunt.

Dressed in a navy jacket and jeans, Tom chatted with director Christopher McQuarrie and production staff inbetween scenes.

Just a few weeks ago, Tom stunned tourists as he sprinted through the city covered in blood , shutting down Central London.

In exclusive photos from the set, he was seen running over Westminster Bridge with army and police officers on his tail.

The Mission Impossible team have been filming at  Surrey’s  Longcross Studios as well as on location since the beginning of March.

Determined to stick to schedule by any means necessary, at one point Tom forked out for the  entire cast and crew to be flown to set by helicopters  after the M25 shut down.

Little is known about what will happen in the eighth instalment of the series - only that it will  follow on from Dead Reckoning , which was released last year.

Originally titled Dead Reckoning: Part Two, the new film has since dropped being considered a second part and will instead go by its own name.

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Reasons for this are unknown but rumours have varied from the film going in a completely different direction to what was initially planned, to the name being scrapped due to Part One's lacklustre success at the box office.

Starring alongside Hayley Atwell, Rebecca Ferguson, Vanessa Kirby and Simon Pegg among others, Dead Reckoning went on to get two Oscar nominations for sound and visual effects.

However, despite raking in $565.8million worldwide at the box office, Dead Reckoning failed to meet the necessary returns to break even from its $291million budget.

On average, taking into account promotional costs etc, a film needs to make 2.5x its budget in order to be considered a financial success.

This was hindered slightly by the global phenomenon of  Barbenheimer   (the release date of Barbie and Oppenheimer)  which came just two weeks after Dead Reckoning's, causing a drop off in potential sales.

Currently, the as-yet-untitled Mission Impossible 8 is scheduled to be released on May 23, 2025 after a string of  pushbacks due to the pandemic  and last year's SAG-AFTRA strikes.

It was initially meant to be ready for release in August 2022, before being delayed to November 2022, July 2023 and June 2024.