Back in August, the mad geniuses at Full Moon Features announced that they will be taking the portmanteau Barbenheimer – which we all saw a thousand times this summer, as movie-goers headed out for double features of Barbie and Oppenheimer – and turning it into a movie of its own. Now producer and Full Moon founder Charles Band has taken a moment to talk to both The Hollywood Reporter and People about Barbenheimer, describing it as a “crazy, candy-colored romp”.
Barbenheimer will be telling the story of Dr. Bambi J Barbenheimer, a brilliant scientist doll living in Dolltopia, a world of endless summers and beach parties, and her boyfriend Twink Dollman. Dr. Barbenheimer, incensed by the brutal treatment the dolls receive at the hands of human children, ventures into the real world, where she experiences humanity at its worst and, naturally, decides to build a giant nuclear bomb to take it all out. They got great looks and a super attitude! Oh, and now they’ve got the bomb.
Band told The Hollywood Reporter this film is “an opportunity to have fun with the bizarre coupling of these two movies and the combination of Barbie’s vibe and the darkness of Oppenheimer. You mix that together and you have such an opportunity for dark humor. It’s so silly, but it seems like every other feature is dark and depressing, and it’s like, God, we need a little humor going into 2024.” Speaking with People, he added, “We’re making a crazy, candy-colored romp that riffs on two movies that literally have nothing in common and yet when placed together, make perfect – and perfectly strange – harmonious bedfellows. Which is what I wish we could do in real life (as opposed to ‘reel’ life).“
A movie like this needs to have some tie-in dolls, which is a fact that Band is very aware of. He confirmed to People, “On top of Barbenheimer the movie, Full Moon will add some crazy merch to our already robust line of toys, including a Dr. Barbenheimer action figure riding a nuclear missile a la Dr. Strangelove. This is going to be a fun one, and I’m super excited to bring Barbenheimer to life!“
Band also revealed that the film has a budget that’s “just under $1 million” and will feature songs written by Brian Wecht, one half of musical comedy duo Ninja Sex Party. The idea to make a movie called Barbenheimer came from Band’s biographer Adam Felber, with whom he wrote the book Confessions of a Puppetmaster: A Hollywood Memoir of Ghouls, Guts and Gonzo Filmmaking (pick up a copy HERE).
When Barbenheimer was first announced, it was said that the movie would begin filming in September and would be aiming for a Christmas 2023 release. It got pushed back a bit – it hasn’t gone into production yet – but it will be filming soon for a 2024 release. Once it’s ready to head out into the world, it will be available to watch on Amazon’s Prime Video and Full Moon’s own streaming service, FullMoonFeatures.com.
While we wait for Barbenheimer, Full Moon is preparing to release Bad CGI Gator later this month.
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