Oppenheimer, which has been the subject of much criticism and debate in Japan, is expected to debut in the country's cinemas next year.
The film recounts the life and work of American scientist J. Robert Oppenheimer, who played a crucial role in creating the atomic bomb, according to IMDB.
Oppenheimer was a smashing success at the box office throughout the globe, especially in China and South Korea. The lack of confirmation on a release date in Japan has led many to wonder whether the country would ever get to see it.
British director Christopher Nolan speaks on stage about his movie "Oppenheimer" during Universal Pictures and Focus Features presentation at CinemaCon 2023, the official convention of the National Association of Theatre Owners (NATO), at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace on April 26, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Soon to Hit Japanese Cinemas
After its July release, the picture came under fire from reviewers who felt it understated the tragedy of the atomic bombs on Nagasaki and Hiroshima in 1945, which killed an estimated 210,000-240,000 people.
The Japanese distributor of the film, Bitters End, reportedly told the Asahi Shimbun newspaper that the subject matter is very meaningful to the Japanese people and carries immense significance. The studio did not provide a specific release date but said that after much deliberation, it has chosen to distribute the film in the nation in 2024.
Bitters End said in a statement: "Christopher Nolan's impressive direction and traditional cinematic techniques made the film a unique viewing experience, and we believe everyone should share that experience on a big screen," as reported by The Washington Post.
Christopher Nolan Addressing the Controversy
In a previous interview with Variety, Nolan said that he opted not to include the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in the film due to his desire to faithfully portray Oppenheimer's subjective experience.
According to what Nolan told the magazine, Oppenheimer was informed about the bombing at the same time as everyone else. Nolan said that Oppenheimer film wanted to demonstrate this to someone who is beginning to understand the unforeseen outcome of his actions.
Opponents, including anti-nuclear organizations, argued that Oppenheimer did not adequately represent the atomic bomb victims in Japan and the people of New Mexico who lived in close proximity to the test site and are believed to have suffered health effects from radiation exposure even 20 years after the incident occurred.
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'Barbenheimer' Backlash
On the same day when Greta Gerwig's Barbie and Nolan's Oppenheimer were released, many people called the simultaneous release of the two opposite films "Barbenheimer."
During the height of the publicity surrounding both films, the Japanese branch of Warner Bros., which produced Barbie, was criticized for its handling of social media postings that combined images of the doll with nuclear symbols from Oppenheimer. One of the pictures that caused a stir had Cillian Murphy (who portrayed J. Robert Oppenheimer) and Margot Robbie (who played Barbie) posing against a background that looked like a nuclear explosion.
In response to the criticism, Warner Bros. Film Group released an apology.
