‘Oppenheimer’ to Finally Screen in Japan After Backlash

Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer” will finally open in Japan in 2024.

The film, which premiered stateside in July 2023, will be released by local Japanese distributor Bitters End. The company issued a statement to Reuters that the WWII epic is “considered a frontrunner for various film awards”; however, a specific release date was not announced.

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“Oppenheimer” stars Cillian Murphy as J. Robert Oppenheimer, the physicist behind the atomic bomb dropped on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki that killed more than 200,000 people. The ensemble film has grossed over $950 million globally.

Bitters End released a statement to IndieWire, saying, “We, Bitters End, will release Christopher Nolan’s ‘Oppenheimer’ in Japan in 2024. The decision was made following months of thoughtful dialogue associated with the subject matter and acknowledging the particular sensitivity for us Japanese. After screening the film, we feel Christopher Nolan has created a singular cinematic experience that transcends traditional storytelling and must be seen on the big screen. We invite the audience to watch the film with their own eyes when it comes to Japan.”

“Oppenheimer” drew criticism over its lack of portrayals of the Japanese people who suffered from the atomic bomb.

A marketing campaign behind the July 2023 double feature of “Barbenheimer” led to an apology from Warner Bros. Film Group after a meme showing “Barbie” star Margot Robbie on the shoulders of the “Oppenheimer” title character, played by Murphy, with an atomic bomb explosion behind them went viral. The U.S. “Barbie” Twitter page responded to it with the caption, “It’s going to be a summer to remember.”

The tweet later garnered a community note explaining the historical context of the mushroom cloud depicted, which references the bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The post ignited an online petition against Warner Bros. U.S., with Warner Bros. Japan issuing a statement about the poster.

“We consider it extremely regrettable that the official account of the American headquarters for the movie ‘Barbie’ reacted to the social media postings of ‘Barbenheimer’ fans,” Warner Bros. Japan wrote in a statement published on the “Barbie” Japan Twitter page. “We take this situation very seriously. We are asking the U.S. headquarters to take appropriate action. We apologize to those who were offended by this series of inconsiderate reactions. Warner Bros. Japan.”

The hashtag #NoBarbenheimer trended in Japan, with a Change.org petition collecting more than 16,000 signatures over two days.

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