Japan's Backlash Against Barbenheimer Sparks Warner Bros. Apology

Right now, Barbie is taking over the world with its box office pull, and its success isn't solidarity by any means. Oppenheimer is topping the box office as well as the Christopher Nolan film has earned critical praise down the row. The two films hit theaters at the same time in July which birthed the curious phenomenon we know as Barbenheimer. But in Japan, well – the double feature has sparked deep anger and prompted an apology from Warner Bros.

If you are not familiar with Barbenheimer, you must have been living under a rock as of late. The name was gifted to the dual debuts of Barbie and Oppenheimer as the two movies went head to head in theaters. From their story to their aesthetic, these two films couldn't be any more different, so Barbenheimer quickly became a meme on social media. It didn't take long for Barbenheimer craze to reach Warner Bros. as the studio supported the crossover, but that promotion did not go well in Japan.

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— 映画『バービー』公式 (@BarbieMovie_jp) July 31, 2023

After all, Oppenheimer's story has a damning significance in Japan. The movie explore the team who created the atomic bombs in World War II which the United States dropped on Japan. Hiroshima and Nagasaki were bombed at the end of the war, and hundreds of thousands were killed. In Japan, nuclear war became a threat unlike anywhere else as it experienced its deadly force first hand. So while Oppenheimer has been welcomed in theaters across the globe, Japan has notably excluded the film.

However, Barbie has gone live in Japan. The film has not done nearly as well in Japan as it has stateside, and part of that slide is due to the Barbenheimer meme. Many in Japan have taken to social media to critique Barbie for siding with Oppenheimer given its horrific tale. In fact, Warner Bros. itself has also been called out for upholding the Barbenheimer meme. This situation led Warner Bros. Japan to distance itself from the Barbenheimer trend, and it asked the company's American branch to reconsider the publicity status.

While Barbenheimer may be all fun in the United States, the meme is far from joyous in Japan. The nation's personal history with nuclear fallout makes its relationship with Oppenheimer testy at best. Nolan's flick has few if any ins into Japan because of its nuclear tale, and now, Barbie is going down with Oppenheimer as well. 

What do you think about this Barbenheimer controversy? Let us know what you think in the comments below as well as on Twitter and Instagram. You can also hit me up @MeganPetersCB to share your take!