Kara Swisher chats with Matthew Belloni, an entertainment journalist from Puck News; Franklin Leonard, founder of The Blacklist; and Brooke Hammerling, communications expert and pop culture authority. They dive into the impressive box office success of 'Barbie' and 'Oppenheimer' during the industry strikes. They discuss whether this cinematic surge is a trend or a one-off event, the role of community in shaping film choices, and the challenges faced by female filmmakers in a struggling landscape. Their insights reveal the complexities of Hollywood today.
Hollywood is still shut down by its historic dual strike, but this weekend the industry saw its most explosive box office numbers of the year. So far, Barbie has made over 200 million domestically and Oppenheimer has surpassed 100 million. So are the movies back in business? Or is BarbenHeimer a cultural phenomenon that will be impossible to replicate?