‘They Cloned Tyrone’: the victim in the ‘Barbie’ v. ‘Oppenheimer’ war
‘Barb-enheimer’ has absolutely dominated 2023 in the world of cinema. The filmmakers’ commitment to their colliding release date has served them well, despite initial concerns that it might split the box office. Instead, fans have relished the opportunity to push the ‘Barbie v. Oppenheimer’ war and plan their double feature schedules for release day.
From pink-fuelled DreamHouse tours to black-and-white shots of a brooding Cillian Murphy, the two campaigns have only bolstered each other’s promotional reach as online audiences take joy in comparing the two. As we swiftly approach Friday, July 21st, the hype shows no sign of stopping. In the box office battle between Barbie and Oppenheimer, it seems that both Greta Gerwig and Christopher Nolan will emerge victorious.
The real victim of the war is a film which has flown entirely under the radar, overshadowed by nuclear bombs and Kenergy. Friday, July 21st, also marks the release date of Juel Taylor’s They Cloned Tyrone. Starring John Boyega, Teyonah Parris and Jamie Foxx, the film follows the trio as they investigate a cloning conspiracy affecting a Black neighbourhood. The movie marks Taylor’s directorial feature debut, looking to pay homage to 1970s Blaxploitation films of the past. They Cloned Tyrone premiered last month at the American Black Film Festival and will be released on Netflix on Friday, July 21st.
Aside from the huge stars at the helm of it, the film’s trailer promises a stylised tale of absurdity. Soundtracked by Rockwell and Michael Jackson’s ‘Somebody’s Watching Me’, the trailer is just as exciting as the teasers for Barbie and just as dark and eerie as the footage of Oppenheimer. But They Cloned Tyrone has seen little online hype compared to its blockbuster competitors.
This appears to be down to a combination of factors. Barbie and Oppenheimer both boast huge budgets in excess of $100million each. Oppenheimer was born out of a deal Nolan made with Universal, while Barbie has the backing of Mattel with Warner Bros at the helm of their distribution. Conversely, They Cloned Tyrone was produced by the relatively smaller media company MACROMedia, and though it has streaming giant Netflix on distribution, this limits the film from a theatrical release. With a smaller budget for production and promotion and no opportunity to make ‘Barb-enheimer’ a triple feature, They Cloned Tyrone was already at a disadvantage.
This is only furthered by the directors at the helm of each film. Indie darling Gerwig has gained a devoted fanbase for her coming-of-age film Lady Bird, as well as her warm adaptation of Little Women. Meanwhile, Nolan has cultivated a loyal audience of film bros over two decades through his complex and ever-consistent filmography. Both Gerwig and Nolan have a solid audience in place, each anticipating their next venture to screen. But They Cloned Tyrone marks Taylor’s debut feature – he has a much smaller audience looking to root for and promote him.
Finally, Barbie and Oppenheimer have benefitted from their adaptive nature. Barbie plays on the nostalgia of millions, while Oppenheimer endears itself to history buffs. They Cloned Tyrone features an original script by Taylor and Tony Rettenmaier, meaning it needs to work harder to win audiences over. Alongside this, it has to be acknowledged that the film features an all-Black cast and crew. Unfortunately, cinema remains an industry plagued by systemic racism and dominated by white filmmakers. Until the industry works to change this, black filmmakers face considerably more hurdles than their white counterparts.
As Barbie and Oppenheimer relentlessly dominate the cultural conversation, more important, more innovative stories are being left behind. If you’re planning a double feature for Friday, July 21st, consider making it a triple.
