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Warner Bros. Film Group has issued a formal apology after the studio's Japanese branch slammed the company's engagement with "Barbenheimer" memes that some said made light of the real-life bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
"Warner Brothers regrets its recent insensitive social media engagement. The studio offers a sincere apology," the company said in a statement to Entertainment Weekly.
On Monday, the "Barbie" Japan Twitter account released a statement condemning the studio's public support for the Barbenheimer craze, which featured mashup images of "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer" meant to promote the tonally distinct films.
Margot Robbie attends the European premiere of "Barbie" in London, Britain July 12, 2023. (REUTERS/Maja Smiejkowska/File Photo)
"[We] consider it extremely regrettable that the official account of the U.S. headquarters of the movie Barbie reacted to social media posts caused by this movement without consideration, and we take this situation seriously," the statement read, according to a translation. "We apologize to those who were offended by this series of inconsiderate reactions."
Both "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer" have enjoyed critical and commercial success after releasing on July 21. Many have attributed the success of the two films to fans billing the movies as a double feature, which inspired many of the online mock promotional images hailing the arrival of "Barbenheimer."
But the trend has sparked outrage from some who say the mashup minimizes the massive death toll and nuclear destruction resulting from the two atomic bombings in 1945. In Japan, the hashtag #NoBarbenheimer has trended in the last week.
In one instance, the Twitter account "DiscussingFilm" highlighted a poster from artist Steve Reeves that depicts "Barbie" star Margot Robbie being carried on the shoulder of "Oppenheimer" actor Cillian Murphy. The image is smothered in an orange tint with streaks of fire running through the air.
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Cast member Cillian Murphy attends a photo call for "Oppenheimer" in London, Britain, July 12, 2023. (REUTERS/Maja Smiejkowska)
"It's going to be a summer to remember," The U.S. Barbie account commented on the post.
The account also commented on a similar mockup of Ryan Gosling's character Ken, writing, "This Ken is a stylist."
The since-deleted tweet was initially updated with a Twitter community note that provided historical context.
"At 8:15 a.m. on August 6, 1945 (Showa 20), an atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima for the first time in human history. The particular nature of the damage caused by the atomic bombs is that mass destruction and mass murder occurred instantaneously and indiscriminately," the note read.
‘BARBIE’ WINS AT THE BOX OFFICE AHEAD OF 'OPPENHEIMER' IN HISTORIC 'BARBIEHEIMER' MOVIEGOING WEEKEND
David Heyman, Greta Gerwig, Ariana Greenblatt, Simu Liu, Issa Rae, Ryan Gosling, Margot Robbie and America Ferrera pose on the pink carpet for the world premiere of the film "Barbie" in Los Angeles, California, U.S., July 9, 2023. (REUTERS/Mike Blake)
Warner Bros. Film Group told Fox News Digital that they had no comment beyond the public apology.
"Oppenheimer" currently has yet to set a release date in Japan. However, "Barbie" will hit theaters in the country on August 11.
According to Box Office Mojo, "Barbie" has grossed $780.7 million at the box office worldwide. It has also broken the record for a female-directed film's biggest box office debut and for a non-superhero or sequel film.
"Oppenheimer" has grossed $405.6 million globally. The two films marked the fourth-largest opening weekend of all time.
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