6 biggest takeaways from Margot Robbie and Cillian Murphy 'Barbenheimer' interview

It's the moment film lovers have been waiting for...

Cillian Murphy and Margot Robbie have finally had a sit-down interview with one another about their hit summer films Oppenheimerand Barbieand the sensation that was 'Barbenheimer'.

Of course, both stars rocked up to the Variety Actors on Actors interview sporting the aesthetic of their films - Murphy was dressed in all black, while Robbie wore a bright pink polka dot blazer.

Murphy and Robbie had an in-depth conversation about their experience of making their successful films as well as the Barbenheimer phenomenon which resulted from both movies being released on July 21.

Here are six of the biggest takeaways from their talk:

Neither anticipated the cultural impact of their films

As a result of the Barbenheimer release, both Oppenheimer and Barbie set records at the box office, with Barbie earning over $1.4 billion globally as of September 4, and Oppenheimer grossing over $953 million worldwide.

While Robbie said she was 90 per cent “certain it would be a big deal and a massive hit," nothing could have prepared her for the impact it would have.

“I didn’t know it was going to have the kind of cultural phenomenon that it ended up being,” she said and then asked Murphy if he anticipated "so many people were going to watch a movie about the making of the atomic bomb."

To which he replied: "No. I don’t think any of us did," before explaining why the historical film was released when it was.

"Christopher Nolan was always determined that it would be released in the summer as a big tentpole movie. That was always his plan. And he has this superstition around that date, the 21st."

Margot Robbie says Oppenheimer producer asked to move 'Barbie' release date

Barbenheimer has no doubt made the history books, but that wouldn't have been the case if Oppenheimer producer Chuck Roven had his way as Robbie revealed he asked her if the Barbie release could be moved to avoid the now-iconic clash.

Robbie noted how the films were a "great pairing," and refused this request.

“He was like ‘I think you guys should move your date.’ And I was like ‘We’re not moving our date. If you’re scared to be up against us, then you move your date.’ And he’s like, ‘We’re not moving our date. I just think it’d be better for you to move.’ And I was like, ‘We’re not moving!’ I think this is a really great pairing, actually," she explained.

“It’s a perfect double billing, Oppenheimer and Barbie.”

Murphy also described how it “was a good instinct” not to move the release.

“Clearly the world agreed. Thank God,” Robbie replied.

“The fact that people were going and being like, ‘Oh, watch Oppenheimer first, then Barbie.’ I was like, ‘See? People like everything.’ People are weird.”

Cillian Murphy is up for a Peaky Blinders spinoff (and Robbie loves the show)

As a Peaky Blinders fan, Robbie couldn't resist asking questions to Murphy about his role as Tommy Shelby.

“In my opinion, there are two kinds of people in this world. There are the people who are obsessed with Peaky Blinders, and then there’s the people who haven’t seen Peaky Blinders. I obviously sit in the first category,” she said.

-She then asked a question fans of the show are dying to know... would Murphy reprise his famous role for a spinoff?

And his answer will certainly excite many.

“I mean, I’m open to the idea. I’ve always thought that if there’s more story to tell…,” he said.

Robbie's face lights up at this answer as she begs the Irish actor: “Please do it. Please!”

Margot Robbie is surprisingly not sick of wearing pink yet

Both Murphy and Robbie channelled their respective movie's aesthetic with their wardrobe for the interview as Murphy wore a black outfit while Robbie sported a bright pink polka dot blazer.

“We should talk about the costumes. So you’re clearly still not sick of pink then?” Murphy asked her, in reference to her outfit.

“I’m not done with pink yet. Yeah, the costumes were incredible. I mean, you just can’t have a Barbie movie without the colour pink. And everyone really got on board with that. I’d make a On-Wednesdays-we-wear-pink day,” she said.

A Means Girls reference (of course), but then asks Murphy if he understands the film reference - he does not.

Cillian Murphy does know what a meme is FYI

There is a famous interview of Murphy's where he appears to not know what a meme is which became a meme in itself, and the topic came up during his conversation with Robbie.

The Barbie actor tells Murphy she has heard that he is “not that aware of memes and things like that”.

“First of all, is that true? And second of all, if that is true, were you even aware of the Barbenheimer phenomenon, or were you just blissfully unaware because you use a dial-up phone or something?” she asked.

Now Murphy has finally put this to bed.

“I have two teenage boys. I do know what a meme is. Now I know that there are memes about me not knowing what a meme is,” Murphy said.

“I think children started that stuff, right? Now that it’s become this sort of meme that’s eating itself, I am aware. But it’s mostly because of people either sending it to me or showing me and saying, ‘Look, you gotta look at this’,” he added.

The Oppenheimer and Barbie marketing team didn't work together (at least according to Robbie)

On the topic of Murphy's internet knowledge, he also confirmed he had seen Barbenheimer fan art because it was "impossible to avoid."

During the run-up to the Barbenheimer release, the marketing teams on both films were working overtime to keep up the back-to-back double bill, though Robbie insists the marketing departments didn't join their efforts together.

"People kept asking me, 'So is each marketing department talking to each other?' And I was like, 'No, this is the world doing this!'" Robbie explained.

“I think it happened because both movies were good. In fact, that summer, there was a huge diversity of stuff in the cinema, and I think it just connected in a way that you or I or the studios or anybody could never have predicted,” Murphy sharing his thought on the matter

Robbie also noted how “you can’t force that or orchestrate that”.

“No, and it may never happen again,” Murphy agreed.

Watch the full interview between Murphy and Robbie onVariety's YouTube channel.

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