Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer to finally release in Japan after Barbenheimer controversy

Oppenheimer, starring Cillian Murphy and Emily Blunt, released in theatres on July 21. Almost 6 months after its release, the film is now set to open in cinema halls in Japan. Previously, the screening of Oppenheimer was halted in the country for 'trivialising' the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki by marketing it with Greta Gerwig’s Barbie. 

Oppenheimer distribution company issues statement

Now, Oppenheimer's distribution company Bitters End has issued a statement regarding their breakthrough in getting a release in Japan. In a statement, the company said the decision was arrived at after “months of thoughtful dialogue associated with the subject matter and acknowledging the particular sensitivity for us Japanese."

Nolan’s film was released theatrically in most countries across the globe in July, making over $950 million. It’s also already available to purchase for in-home viewing in many countries. But it had been a lingering question whether it would ever get a theatrical release in Japan. While the exact release date of Oppenheimer has not been revealed yet, it was confirmed that the movie will hit the theatres in Japan, next year. 
 

What is the Barbenheimer controversy? 

Earlier this year, the Japanese distributor of the Warner Bros. movie Barbie apologized for its U.S. parent company’s reaction to social media posts about the “Barbenheimer” blitz that combined images of Barbie and a mushroom cloud. The memes triggered criticisms in Japan for what many described as minimizing the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings.

The choice to have the film address, but not explicitly depict, the bombings of the two cities by the U.S. — which killed tens of thousands of people and left many with lifelong injuries — was also hotly debated in the media.

Oppenheimer is about J. Robert Oppenheimer, the “father of the atomic bomb,” and chronicles the development of the weapon during World War II. 

(with inputs from AP)