Warner Bros Faces Backlash for Controversial Social Media Blunder About Barbenheimer

Warner Bros.' U.S. division offered a sincere apology following criticism from their Japan division for their involvement with "insensitive" Barbenheimer tweets. The studio expressed regret for their recent insensitive social media interaction, as confirmed to Variety on Tuesday, August 1.

Warner Bros. Japan recently requested the U.S. division to take action after the U.S. Barbie account showed support for tweets regarding Barbenheimer, a fusion of Oppenheimer and Barbie. Oppenheimer, a film about physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer's work on the atomic bomb, has not yet been released in Japan. It's noteworthy that the bombings in Hiroshima and Nagasaki during World War II claimed the lives of over 100,000 individuals.

"We deeply regret the response from the official American headquarters for the movie Barbie towards the Barbenheimer fans on social media," stated Warner Bros. Japan through Barbie Japan's official Twitter account. "We are treating this matter with utmost seriousness and have requested the U.S. headquarters to take appropriate action. We extend our apologies to those who were offended by these thoughtless reactions. Warner Bros Japan."

Greta Gerwig's Barbie and Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer gained the nickname Barbenheimer due to their sharply contrasting storylines and visual styles, as well as their competition at the box office. (Both films were released in the U.S. on July 21.)

The projects were often promoted as a double feature in the U.S. due to their cultural impact, but Barbie, featuring Margot Robbie as the iconic character and Ryan Gosling as Ken, outperformed Oppenheimer at the box office, earning a staggering $162 million in its opening weekend.

Despite its wide appeal, Barbie's pink-hued film faced criticism from some who felt targeted by its feminist themes and progressive storyline. Public figures like Sen. Ted Cruz and Ben Shapiro openly criticized the movie, with Cruz labeling it as "communist propaganda" and Shapiro going as far as creating a lengthy video where he openly criticized and burned Barbie dolls.

Whoopi Goldberg, in response, didn't take their critiques lightly.

"It's just a movie! A movie about a doll!" exclaimed Goldberg, 67, in disbelief on The View on July 25. "Come on, guys, I challenge you to explain to your daughters why you're not letting them watch the Barbie movie. I want you to tell them what's supposedly wrong with Barbie."

Gerwig, 39, on the other hand, responded with diplomacy when questioned about the criticism. In an interview conducted prior to the SAG-AFTRA strike and published by The New York Times last month, the director acknowledged the immense passion surrounding the film. She expressed her hope that those who encounter or engage with the film may find solace in it, just like others have.