Margot Robbie Stands Firm on 'Barbie' Release Date Despite Producer's Plea

Margot Robbie Robin L Marshall/FilmMagic

Margot Robbie stood firm in her decision not to change the release date of Oppenheimer, standing by her commitment to ensuring fans could fully experience both Oppenheimer and Barbie.

In a conversation with Cillian Murphy on December 5th, she revealed that Chuck Roven, a producer she had previously worked with, had suggested moving the date, but she stood her ground.

Robbie not only starred in Barbie, she also produced the film through her company Lucky Chap Productions, which brought director/cowriter Greta Gerwig to the project. However, the Australia native chose not to use her power as an executive producer to appease Roven, who was a producer on her Suicide Squad films.

“I said, ‘We’re not changing our date. If you’re hesitant to go up against us, then you change your date,’” she recounted. “And he said, ‘We’re not changing our date. I just believe it would be better for you to move.’ And I said, ‘We are not moving!’”

Robbie, who portrayed the iconic doll in the film, feels that the movies were a good match, stating, "I believe this is a fantastic combination. It's the perfect duo, Oppenheimer and Barbie."

Murphy, aged 47, agreed, saying, "That was a great instinct."

“Obviously the world was in agreement,” Robbie went on. “Thank goodness. It was crazy to see people saying things like, ‘I’ll watch Oppenheimer before Barbie.’ It just goes to show, people are into all sorts of things. People are strange.”

The Oppenheimer actor continued, “And they don’t appreciate being told what to do. They want to choose for themselves, and they’ll naturally develop interest.” Murphy also mentioned that director Christopher Nolan has a superstition about always releasing movies on or near July 21st.

Barbenheimer memes were popular among fans, and Robbie and Murphy publicly showed their mutual support for each other's movies. Murphy even enthusiastically mentioned during an interview in July with Cinefilos that he would be delighted to take on the role of Ken in a potential Barbie sequel. He expressed his readiness to consider the opportunity and engage in discussions about the project.

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Barbie, a comedic portrayal of a doll experiencing an existential crisis, and Oppenheimer, a drama depicting the development of the atomic bomb, both premiered on July 21 to great acclaim. Ultimately, Barbie proved to be the more popular film, grossing over $1.4 billion and becoming the highest-grossing movie of the year. Oppenheimer fell short of the billion-dollar mark, but still earned an impressive $950 million worldwide.

Barbie is scheduled to begin streaming on Max on Friday, December 15, while a streaming release date for Oppenheimer has not yet been announced.