When a film borrows its story from historical events, it can be a source of controversy. Not having escaped such controversy is the latest thriller by Christopher Nolan, Oppenheimer, which is set to release on July 21, 2023. Starring Cillian Murphy as the titular Robert J. Oppenheimer, the film is based on American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer which was written by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin. However, social media has begun to speculate about the fate of Oppenheimer in Japan.
Oppenheimer was the leader of the Manhattan Project, and he is often referred to as the “father of the atomic bomb,” having created the nuclear weapons used in the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings of 1945. With that being said, there has been speculation that Oppenheimer might not be released in Japan, considering that the subject of the film was effectively responsible for the death of hundreds of thousands of Japanese people. Many believe the movie might be banned in Japan, but we have not received official word that that is the case.
Does Oppenheimer Have a Release Date in Japan?
The film has already premiered in France, the United Kingdom, and the United States, with its release date on July 19th for France and the 21st for the U.K. and U.S. Oppenheimer releases on the 20th of July in certain countries like Australia, Germany, and China, while some countries, like South Korea and Vietnam, won’t see it hit theaters until August. As for Japan, Oppenheimer does not currently have a release date.
A spokesperson from Universal told Variety that “plans have not been finalized in all markets” in regard to the worldwide distribution of Oppenheimer. The film’s staggered release is not out of the norm. As we mentioned previously, it will be coming to some countries in August, so Japan might have to wait until then, or even possibly, until September or beyond, but this is just speculation. Ultimately, we won’t know when Oppenheimer will release in Japan until we get the official word.
It is worth noting that we also won’t know if the film has been banned until there is official word on that too, but if it were to be banned, that seems like something that would have been announced already. If Japan had banned Oppenheimer, the controversial move would likely be talked about on social media, and in the media in general, leading to people talking about the movie more. After all, controversy often sells tickets.
But, again, we won’t know what Oppenheimer’s fate in Japan will be until Universal officially releases a statement. You can catch Oppenheimer in theaters starting on July 21, 2023.
