"Oppenheimer" will get a theatrical release in Japan, after all. The Japanese distributor Bitters End said Thursday that the Christopher Nolan film will play in the country's theaters in 2024.
In a statement, Bitters End wrote that the decision was made, "following months of thoughtful dialogue associated with the subject matter and acknowledging the particular sensitivity for us Japanese."
"Oppenheimer" is about J. Robert Oppenheimer, the so-called "father of the atomic bomb," and chronicles the development of the weapon during World War II. The choice to have the film address, but not explicitly depict, the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki by the U.S. — which killed tens of thousands of people and left many with lifelong injuries — was hotly debated in the media.
Nolan's film was released theatrically in most territories in July, making over $950 million. It's also already available to purchase for in-home viewing in many countries. But it had been a lingering question whether it would ever get a theatrical release in Japan.
Earlier this year, the Japanese distributor of the Warner Bros. movie "Barbie" apologized for its U.S. parent company's reaction to social media posts about the "Barbenheimer" blitz that combined images of Barbie and a mushroom cloud. The memes triggered criticisms in Japan for what many described as minimizing the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings.
Bitters End said that, after screening "Oppenheimer," they felt it was "a singular cinematic experience that transcends traditional storytelling and must be seen on the big screen."
California governor signs law to protect children from social media addiction
California will make it illegal for social media platforms to knowingly provide addictive feeds to children without parental consent beginning in 2027 under a new law Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Friday.
California follows New York state, which passed a law earlier this year allowing parents to block their kids from getting social media posts suggested by a platform's algorithm. Utah has passed laws in recent years aimed at limiting children's access to social media, but they have faced challenges in court.
The California law will take effect in a state home to some of the largest technology companies in the world. Similar proposals have failed to pass in recent years, but Newsom signed a first-in-the-nation law in 2022 barring online platforms from using users' personal information in ways that could harm children. It is part of a growing push in states across the country to try to address the impacts of social media on the well-being of children.
"Every parent knows the harm social media addiction can inflict on their children — isolation from human contact, stress and anxiety, and endless hours wasted late into the night," Newsom said in a statement. "With this bill, California is helping protect children and teenagers from purposely designed features that feed these destructive habits."
The law bans platforms from sending notifications without permission from parents to minors between 12 a.m. and 6 a.m., and between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. on weekdays from September through May, when children are typically in school. The legislation also makes platforms set children's accounts to private by default.
Opponents of the legislation say it could inadvertently prevent adults from accessing content if they cannot verify their... Read More