Japan ‘Barbie’ distributor slams U.S. ‘Oppenheimer’ mashup

The Japanese distributor of Barbie, a 2023 American film, slammed the film’s official promoters for engaging with social media posts that linked the main character of Barbie to the atomic bomb-related film “Oppenheimer.”

The Japanese distributor expressed regret in a statement. Warner Bros. Japan LLC has said in a statement that the messages posted by the United States headquarters’ Barbie film account are “very regrettable.”

Warner Bros Japan slammed the Barbenheimer tweets. The Japanese authorities have repeatedly criticized Oppenheimer film because it is a biopic film about the scientist behind the atomic bombs dropped on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. 

The film is about Robert Oppenheimer, a physicist who made atomic bombs. The aerial bombings over the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, respectively, killed between 129,000 and 226,000 people. The tragic incident took place on 6 and 9 August 1945.

Japan Barbie slammed US Barbie for reacting to the social media postings of ‘Barbenheimer’ fans. “Oppenheimer” and “Barbie” movies were released on July 21. Since release, the two films have topped the U.S. box office.

Fans and media have repeatedly referred to the two films collectively as “Barbenheimer.” Memes about these two films have also become popular in social media. 

The Barbie Movie official US account replied to the Barbenheimer viral post, saying, “It’s going to be a summer to remember.” The move angered Japanese films.

Warner Bros. Japan reportedly called on the United States head office to “properly deal with it.” Warner Bros. Japan also apologized to Japanese fans. 

“Barbie” is set to release in Japan on August 11. “Oppenheimer” has not been released in Japan yet. Reportedly, there is no information about whether the “Oppenheimer” film will hit theaters in Japan. 

Japanese fans have criticized the marketing of these two films. #NoBarbenheimer has also been trending in Japan.