Oppenheimer could cross $1 billion box office with Japan release

Of 2023’s much-lauded box office successes, Oppenheimer is the most unlikely: it’s a biopic about a scientist, a morality tale about the creation of the atom bomb, and a red scare courtroom drama. Yet Christopher Nolan’s latest film was not just a critical darling (and an awards season favorite), it was a major hit, earning $952 million (per Variety). Now, the film is poised to cross the billion-dollar mark as independent distributor Bitters End has set a March release date to bring Oppenheimer to theaters in Japan.

The news is significant for obvious reasons: Oppenheimer is about the creation and subsequent deployment of the atomic bomb over the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. J. Robert Oppenheimer’s work had far-reaching consequences, but those consequences were much more immediate in Japan, which saw death, destruction, and long-term effects from radiation poisoning. While the dire results of the Manhattan Project are emphasized in Nolan’s movie, it’s told strictly from the perspective of Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy) and Lewis Strauss (Robert Downey Jr.), not the victims of the bomb.

In fact, Nolan chose not to include any images of the victims, specifically depicting Oppenheimer looking away from footage of the fallout. While the choice is revealing of the character (and he does imagine the horrific effects of the bomb in one memorable scene), some have criticized the film for centering the feelings and experiences of the creators of the bomb rather than the reality of the victims. “How long was that film? If it’s three hours, I would like to add some more minutes about what happened to the Japanese people,” Spike Lee said last year. “People got vaporized. Many years later, people are radioactive. It’s not like he didn’t have power. He tells studios what to do. I would have loved to have the end of the film maybe show what it did, dropping those two nuclear bombs on Japan.”

According to Variety, Universal Pictures’ usual theatrical distributor in Japan Toho-Tawa declined to release the film when it premiered in most territories in July. Bitters End ultimately stepped in: “Bitters End, will release Christopher Nolan’s ‘Oppenheimer’ in Japan in 2024. The decision was made following months of thoughtful dialogue associated with the subject matter and acknowledging the particular sensitivity for us Japanese,” the company said in a statement in December. “After screening the film, we feel Christopher Nolan has created a singular cinematic experience that transcends traditional storytelling and must be seen on the big screen. We invite the audience to watch the film with their own eyes when it comes to Japan.”

On social media, Bitters End added, “This is a spectacular true story drama that depicts the unknown life of a man who holds the fate of the world in his hands while at the same time facing a crisis that could destroy it […] It has been hailed as Nolan’s best work ever and is considered a top candidate for various film awards.”

Despite noting the awards conversation, Oppenheimer’s Japan release will come after the film’s Oscars campaign. Bitters End will release the film on March 29, weeks after the Academy Awards take place. Nevertheless, if Oppenheimer does come out on top in the Best Picture race, the Japan release could crown the film’s victory lap with a billion dollars at the box office.