In what is surely a case of Warner Bros. having their cake and eating it too, they have slated a release date for Greta Gerwig (Lady Bird, Little Women) and Margot Robbie's (I, Tonya) Barbie film for the same day as Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer — July 21, 2023. The release date was announced during the Warner Bros. panel at CinemaCon. These are two massive pictures from major studios, and it is a smart move of counter-programming on Warner Brothers' part. Gerwig will direct the film in addition to writing it alongside her partner Noah Baumbach (Marriage Story).
July 21, 2023, is turning into a big day for Warner Bros., as they also have a second film with that current release in Coyote vs. Acme. The Looney Tunes-based film has been in development for some time now and recently made some headway by casting John Cena, Lana Condor, and Will Forte. Dave Green (Earth to Echo) will be directing the project. Given the lengthy amount of CGI that will need to be deployed for Coyote vs. Acme, it's likely the biggest target to move off of this date if necessary.
Plot details for Barbie are mum at the moment, though with the sheer bulk and talent levels of the cast, a very fun and bold film is likely in store. Robbie stars alongside Ryan Gosling as Ken, America Ferrera, Simu Liu, Kate McKinnon, Michael Cera, Issa Rae, and Will Ferrell as the CEO of a Mattel-like toy company. Gerwig, who was attached to write the film since July 2019, signed on to direct this past summer. Based on her talent, and her comments that the film will subvert expectations and give audiences "the thing they didn't know they wanted," an exciting film is on the horizon.
Next year is shaping up to be a major summer for Warner Bros. Outside of Barbie and Coyote vs. Acme, the studio has several DC films slated for 2023 including Aquaman and The Lost Kingdom and The Flash starring Ezra Miller, which was delayed several months from an initial 2022 date.
Barbie is scheduled to arrive in theaters on July 21, 2023.