Oppenheimer: Will Christopher Nolan's Biopic on the Father of Atom Bomb Release in Japan? Here's What We Know!

One of the year’s biggest releases is Oppenheimer. Many have been anticipating Christopher Nolan’s biopic about the Father of the Atom Bomb for a long time now, and it finally is releasing in theatres on July 21, 2023. However, while many around the world will be enjoying the film when it hits theatres next week, it’ll be Japan that actually won’t be watching it at the same time as others due to Oppenheimer’s release not being finalised in the country yet. Oppenheimer: Five Minutes Preview of Christopher Nolan’s Upcoming Biopic Gives Sneak Peek Into Life of J Robert Oppenheimer and Manhattan Project (Watch Video).

According to Variety, a spokesperson for Toho-Towa, the country's biggest distributor of Hollywood films, said that "plans have not been finalized in all markets." The spokesperson added that Oppenheimer is "still under consideration" for a Japanese release. The decision of whether or not to release Oppenheimer in Japan is likely due to the film's subject matter. The film is about the development of the atomic bomb during World War II, and it is possible that some Japanese audiences may find the film to be too sensitive. Which is understandable, because one of the most disturbing moments of World War II was United States using the atom bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki to level the cities, and it was an attack the likes of which no one had ever seen.

There can be a box office angle at play over here as well. Christopher Nolan is easily one of the most renowned and popular directors around the world, and his films have been known to work really well in Japan, but Oppenheimer brings about a change in the movie-making trajectory for the filmmaker. While most of his previous work is known for being huge-scale action and sci-fi blockbusters, Oppenheimer is a rather deep and heavy biopic with a long runtime that will certainly be challenging for a few viewers. While the positive early word-of-mouth is certainly enticing for fans, it’s still too soon to say how the film will perform. So, probably Toho-Towa is just waiting to see what the consensus is during its opening weekend and then deciding on a release.

However, it is also definitely possible that Oppenheimer just may never hit Japanese screens. If the film fails to perform well in other markets and the content itself is deemed too sensitive, then a scenario may occur where Toho-Towa might just pull the trigger on never releasing the film in Japan. Time will only tell, but one thing’s for certain is that a Christopher Nolan film will definitely make huge noise on release. Oppenheimer Review: Christopher Nolan's Film Starring Cillian Murphy and Robert Downey Jr Is 'Spectacular' and 'Electrifying', Per First Reactions.

Starring Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Robert Downey Jr, Florence Pugh and more, Oppenheimer hits theatres in many markets on July 21, 2023.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 13, 2023 11:09 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).