'Oppenheimer' is now playing in theaters around the world — except in Japan. Here's why.
- There has been speculation that Christopher Nolan's "Oppenheimer" is banned in Japan.
- The film stars Cillian Murphy as J. Robert Oppenheimer, the father of the atomic bomb.
Christopher Nolan's latest cinematic spectacle, "Oppenheimer," has finally made its way into theaters, three years after the British director's previous film, "Tenet."
The new movie is all about J. Robert Oppenheimer, the mastermind behind the atomic bomb, with Cillian Murphy playing the titular American scientist.
While most theaters around the world will be showing "Oppenheimer" — and "Barbie" — there has been some speculation about whether "Oppenheimer" will be shown in Japan because of its subject matter.
In August 1945, the United States used Oppenheimer's work to create a nuclear bomb to hit the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, killing over 200,000 people.
Will 'Oppenheimer' be in Japanese theaters?
Japan hasn't completely banned "Oppenheimer" from its theaters, but neither is there a release date for the movie in the country.
A Universal spokesperson told Variety in June that "plans have not been finalized in all markets."
This suggests that Japanese audiences won't be able to see Nolan's movie at the same time as the rest of the world, as Toho-Towa — the biggest Japanese distributor of Hollywood films — has yet to decide on its release plans, per Variety.
Thankfully, Japanese audiences will soon be able to see the other big movie of the summer, "Barbie," which arrives in the country on August 11.
'Oppenheimer' is in theaters now
"Oppenheimer" opens Friday in theaters across other countries, including the US and UK, where it will face off against "Barbie" at the box office.
Nolan recently confirmed that his own daughter, Flora, makes a cameo appearance as a girl whose face melts off during a dream sequence.
The director also told Insider that it was "essential" to film sex scenes for the first time in his career.
"When you look at Oppenheimer's life and you look at his story, that aspect of his life, the aspect of his sexuality, his way with women, the charm that he exuded, it's an essential part of his story," Nolan told Insider about the choice of including sex scenes.