There are plenty of reasons why someone would watch a movie. Maybe it’s to support a franchise or their favorite director and cast members. Maybe it’s because of a popular social media trend that you want to be a part of so you can earn some sweet internet points. But what if I tell you that people are planning to watch Avatar: The Way of Water just because of another movie?

Moviegoers who went to Avatar 2‘s advanced screenings have reported that some theaters are showing trailers for the upcoming Barbie movie. Alongside the new Greta Gerwig film, other titles, such as Oppenheimer, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, and The Super Mario Bros Movie were reported to have trailers played before the film. A handful of people who went to these early screenings managed to capture a glimpse of the Barbie trailer and shared it on social media.

If these reports are true, then James Cameron is doing a brilliant job of making sure people are buying tickets for his movie, but for the wrong reasons. Excited Barbie fans are now planning to buy tickets just to watch the Barbie trailer, then walk out straight after. Sure, the profits from tickets sold will count towards Avatar 2, but imagine that the only thing driving up box office ticket sales is a trailer for a movie that comes out in July.

The Barbie movie stars Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, Simu Liu, and many others, and will be released in theaters on July 21, 2023, the same day as Oppenheimer. If you’re keen to see previews of these two highly anticipated films, then better grab a ticket for Avatar: The Way of Water.

ncG1vNJzZmivlZy8tcDHoqqcp6aav6awjZympmedpMOqsdJop56noKGybq3RnmSrnZGZxm7Azmaqnp1dlsOiwMCrZK2glWLEosWMqJ1mr5GpsrN5ya6qrWWkpHqkrdOcn2asmJp6o63Rm6CeZaSnrqq4xKtm