Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer is now just one week away from its 21 July release in the United States and United Kingdom. The much-anticipated (and heavily memed) biographical thriller tells the story of J. Robert Oppenheimer, the “father of the atomic bomb”. Despite all the online banter, Oppenheimer obviously deals with an incredibly serious and frightening subject – nuclear weapons. This has led to rumours that Oppenheimer has been banned in Japan and will not be released there.
But where have these rumours come from and are they true? Naturally, suggestions that Oppenheimer has been banned in Japan have spread like wild fire on social media.
In particular, one tweet from The Fauxy claiming that Oppenheimer has been banned in the country has been widely shared and liked more than 10,000 times.
Of course, the reason for this speculation is because of the harrowing historical events connecting Japan and nuclear weapons. On 6 August 1945, the United States dropped an atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. Approximately 90,000-146,000 people died.
Three days later, on 9 August 1945, a second atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki. Between 60,000 and 80,000 people were killed.
Given the role J. Robert Oppenheimer played in developing atomic bombs, it’s understandable that a film based on his life may be received poorly in Japan and face significant controversy. But has it actually been banned?
Is Oppenheimer banned in Japan?
Oppenheimer has not been banned in Japan. However, it has no confirmed theatrical release date. Therefore, It remains to be seen if the film will ever be released in the country.
If Oppenheimer is shown in Japan, it is entirely likely that Japanese audiences will skip the latest Christopher Nolan epic (for obvious reasons).
It’s also worth noting that The Fauxy (mentioned above) is actually a “Fictitious News Source” according to its Twitter bio. So, it’s safe to assume its tweet reporting the “ban” is similarly fictitious.
With that being said, it’s always worth double checking to ensure the source of any “news” you read on social media is legitimate. Sadly, some people just like to stir up controversy – even if it means mocking history’s most awful events.
Are you looking forward to watching Oppenheimer? Let us know in the comment section below and don’t forget to check out our other Film & TV articles…
