Hollywood legend Francis Ford Coppola gives his verdict on Barbie and Oppenheimer
Hollywood legend Francis Ford Coppola has given his verdict on Barbie and Oppenheimer and their impressive milestones. What does the famed director think of the box office hits?
Barbie: Official trailer
Francis Ford Coppola has revealed his verdit on Barbie and Oppenheimer following the two films' record-breaking debut weekend.
While the famous director was answering fans’ questions on his Instagram Stories on July 28, one fan asked if he'd seen Greta Gerwig’s Barbie and Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer.
The Godfather director said he hasn't seen the movies yet, but added that both films are a "victory for cinema."
Coppola said (per The Hollywood Reporter): "The fact that people are filling big theaters to see them and that they are neither sequels nor prequels, no number attached to them, meaning they are true one-offs, is a victory for cinema."
Barbie and Oppenheimer overperformed during their opening weekend from July 21-23.
Gerwig's film broke two records.
Barbie had one of the top openings since the pandemic and also broke the record for the biggest opening for a female director.
Meanwhile, Oppenheimer, which has sparked some controversy around its sex scene, ranked as the third-biggest opening ever for a biographical film in North America.
Coppola's comments on the two films isn't surprising.
He's been outspoken about his dislike for sequels, prequels and the films coming out of Hollywood in general, despite helming one of the most famous trilogies in movie history, The Godfather trilogy.
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The director-producer isn’t a massive fan of Marvel and its film franchises either.
In 2022, Coppola told GQ magazine that there used to "studio films," but now there are "Marvel pictures."
He called the superhero franchise "one prototype movie that is made over and over and over and over and over again to look different.”
The Oscar-winning director has been in the entertainment industry for more than five decades and had seen how it has transformed over the years.
He doesn't like what movies have transformed into, but he does have hope now thanks to the two box office successes.
Another fan on Instagram asked Coppola where he thinks cinema will look like in the next 10 years.
Coppola replied that he had nothing but high hopes.
He said: “My hunch is that we’re on the verge of a golden age. Wonderful and illuminating cinema seen in large theaters.”
It certainly feels like Barbie and Oppenheimer are ushering in a new era in Hollywood, even amidst the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes.
