On the surface, Barbie and Oppenheimer may seem like opposites, but they're bringing in the crowds together.

Both movies opened in theatres on the same day and filmgoers have felt inspired to purchase tickets for a 'Barbenheimer' double bill.

Auckland University marketing professor Mike Lee says the 'Barbenheimer' experience has brought two different audiences together and increased the market share of both products.

"When people go out now, they want to make a bigger deal out of things. And so this is a perfect opportunity to both wallow in our misery and be distracted by something light and fluffy."

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