Oppenheimer will finally air in Japan next year after a backlash over Barbenheimer publicity, which critics said trivialised the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in the Second World War.

The Christopher Nolan-directed biopic about atomic bomb pioneer J. Robert Oppenheimer has grossed over $950 million globally since its July opening.

But many Japanese were offended by the Barbenheimer grassroots marketing campaign linking the movie to Barbie, another blockbuster that opened around the same time, with fan-produced images of the films’ stars alongside images of nuclear blasts.

A #NoBarbenheimer hashtag trended online in Japan in August, prompting an apology from Barbie distributor Warner Bros, and no date was set for its local release despite airing in other Asian countries.

‘Various discussions and considerations’

After lengthy discussions over the backlash, the film will now open in Japan in 2024, its local distributor Bitters End said, noting that the movie is “considered a front runner for various film awards”.

“The film’s subject matter is of great importance and holds special meaning for Japanese people, so we decided to release it in Japan after various discussions and considerations,” Bitters End said.

It did not give a specific date for the release.

The dropping of atomic bombs by the United States on Hiroshima and Nagasaki toward the end of World War Two resulted in more than 200,000 deaths.

Critics of Oppenheimer, including anti-nuclear groups, have accused the film of ignoring the horror and devastation of the bombings.

The film alludes to but does not explicitly show the destruction unleashed on the two cities in August 1945.