Barbie and Oppenheimer double bill is officially Tom Cruise-approved

Ever since Barbie and Oppenheimer both announced the same summer release date, social media users have been joking about – and seriously planning – their double bills. And one more social media user can now be added to that list: Tom Cruise.

"This summer is full of amazing movies to see in theaters. Congratulations, Harrison Ford, on 40 years of Indy and one of the most iconic characters in history," the actor tweeted, referencing the recently released Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. "I love a double feature, and it doesn't get more explosive (or more pink) than one with Oppenheimer and Barbie."

The tweet was accompanied by a photo of Cruise and his Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One director Christopher McQuarrie posing with their cinema tickets in the foyer of Cineworld in London's Leicester Square in front of the posters for the aforementioned posters. 

Cruise has long been an advocate for big-screen entertainment, campaigning tirelessly for Top Gun: Maverick to have a theatrical release in 2022 despite Paramount's wishes to drop the movie on streaming. The actor also championed returning to theaters when they re-opened after COVID-19 lockdown restrictions were lifted.

As well as sharing a release date, both movies have stacked ensemble casts – Barbie features Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, Will Ferrell, Emma Mackey, Michael Cera, Issa Rae, Ncuti Gatwa, and Kate McKinnon, while Oppenheimer's cast boasts Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt, Florence Pugh, Robert Downey Jr., Matt Damon, Rami Malek, Kenneth Branagh, and Matthew Modine.

Barbie and Oppenheimer both hit the big screen on July 21. While we wait, check out our guide to the rest of the year's most exciting movie release dates.