Tom Cruise, Self-Appointed Box Office Savior, Plans to See ‘Oppenheimer’ and ‘Barbie’ on Opening Weekend

Tom Cruise’s latest mission is to single-handedly prove that movies should be seen in theaters. The Mission: Impossible star has confirmed he will see Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer and Greta Gerwig’s Barbie as soon as they open simultaneously on July 21.

“I want to see both Barbie and Oppenheimer,” the actor told The Sydney Morning Herald. I’ll see them opening weekend. Friday I’ll see Oppenheimer first and then Barbie on Saturday.”

Cruise added that he wants to encourage viewers to go out and see movies in theaters, rather than waiting for streaming. He confirmed he’s a big proponent of enjoying films with that sense of true spectacle.

“I grew up seeing movies on the big screen,” Cruise said. “That’s how I make them, and I like that experience; it’s immersive, and to have that as a community and an industry, it’s important. I still go the movies.”

The interview comes a few days after Cruise shared photos of himself on Twitter holding tickets to see Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, Oppenheimer, and Barbie.

“This summer is full of amazing movies to see in theaters,” Cruise wrote. “Congratulations, Harrison Ford, on 40 years of Indy and one of the most iconic characters in history. I love a double feature, and it doesn’t get more explosive (or more pink) than one with Oppenheimer and Barbie.”

Speaking to the Herald, Cruise added, “Harrison Ford is a legend. I hope to be still going. I’ve got 20 years to catch up with him. I hope to keep making Mission: Impossible films until I’m his age.”

Cruise was credited with bringing audiences back to theaters following the pandemic with last summer’s Top Gun: Maverick. His new movie, Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One, opens July 12.

After Cruise tweeted his intention to see Barbie, Gerwig and star Margot Robbie posted photos of themselves with tickets for Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One, as well as Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny and Oppenheimer. “Mission accepted,” the pair wrote on the Barbie Twitter page.