Hiroshima Residents Hope ‘Oppenheimer’ Oscars Draw Attention to A-Bomb Reality 

A report issued on the atomic bomb program before the dropping of the bomb on Hiroshima, and signed by J. Robert Oppenheimer and others in the program, is displayed at RR Auction House in Boston, Massachusetts, on March 8, 2024. (AFP)
A report issued on the atomic bomb program before the dropping of the bomb on Hiroshima, and signed by J. Robert Oppenheimer and others in the program, is displayed at RR Auction House in Boston, Massachusetts, on March 8, 2024. (AFP)
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Hiroshima Residents Hope ‘Oppenheimer’ Oscars Draw Attention to A-Bomb Reality 

A report issued on the atomic bomb program before the dropping of the bomb on Hiroshima, and signed by J. Robert Oppenheimer and others in the program, is displayed at RR Auction House in Boston, Massachusetts, on March 8, 2024. (AFP)
A report issued on the atomic bomb program before the dropping of the bomb on Hiroshima, and signed by J. Robert Oppenheimer and others in the program, is displayed at RR Auction House in Boston, Massachusetts, on March 8, 2024. (AFP)

Half a world away from Hollywood, citizens in Hiroshima, Japan, reacted to the best picture win for "Oppenheimer", the blockbuster that depicted the race to develop the atom bomb that devastated their city 78 years ago.

The biopic about physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer took in seven Oscars at Sunday night's Academy Awards after grossing $954 million worldwide. But the film has yet to screen in Japan, the only country to have suffered nuclear bombing, with US strikes on Hiroshima and Nagasaki near the end of World War Two.

"I myself would definitely like to watch this movie," said Yasuhiro Akiyama, a 43-year-old teacher.

"I hope more people around the world who have seen the movie would want to visit Hiroshima and come to the Peace Memorial Park and the Atomic Bomb Dome," he added.

"Oppenheimer" will finally open in Japan on March 29, about eight months after its debut. The opening last summer came just weeks before memorials of the blasts that claimed more than 200,000 lives.

Controversies over the film's content, which some criticized as glossing over the human toll of the bombings, and marketing cast doubt on whether the film would get shown in Japan.

Many Japanese were offended by a fan-created "Barbenheimer" campaign online that linked the movie to "Barbie", another blockbuster that opened around the same time.

Teruko Yahata, a survivor of the Hiroshima bombing, last week told Reuters that she was eager see "Oppenheimer" and hoped it would reinvigorate debate over nuclear weapons.

That sentiment was echoed by several Hiroshima residents interviewed after the film reaped Oscar gold.

"I think it's important to have a peaceful world where people no longer fight each other, so I hope this movie will give everyone an opportunity to learn about peace," said Miyuki Hirano, a 44-year-old nurse.

Yoshito Ihara said he doubted nuclear-armed nations would ever let go of the weapons, but he hoped the movie could educate individuals and motivate them to press for change.

"I have not seen the movie, but I think it's a chance for ordinary Japanese people to learn (about the bombing)," said Iwata, a 63-year-old real estate agent. "I think it is an issue every single person in the world must continue to fight against."



‘Superman’ Aims to Save Flagging Film Franchise, Not Just Humanity

 David Corenswet, left, and Rachel Brosnahan participate in the ceremonial lighting of the Empire State Building on Wednesday, July 9, 2025, in New York. (Photo by CJ Rivera/Invision/AP)
David Corenswet, left, and Rachel Brosnahan participate in the ceremonial lighting of the Empire State Building on Wednesday, July 9, 2025, in New York. (Photo by CJ Rivera/Invision/AP)
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‘Superman’ Aims to Save Flagging Film Franchise, Not Just Humanity

 David Corenswet, left, and Rachel Brosnahan participate in the ceremonial lighting of the Empire State Building on Wednesday, July 9, 2025, in New York. (Photo by CJ Rivera/Invision/AP)
David Corenswet, left, and Rachel Brosnahan participate in the ceremonial lighting of the Empire State Building on Wednesday, July 9, 2025, in New York. (Photo by CJ Rivera/Invision/AP)

Superman is often called upon to save the world from evildoers, but in his latest big-screen incarnation, he's also being asked to swoop in and save a franchise.

James Gunn's "Superman," which opened in theaters worldwide this week, is a reboot aimed at relaunching the so-called DC Universe of comic book-based superhero movies, which also features Wonder Woman and Batman.

The celluloid efforts of Warner Bros. and DC Studios have been widely eclipsed by Disney's Marvel Cinematic Universe -- the world of Iron Man, Thor, Black Panther and the Fantastic Four, who are getting their own reboot later this month.

"Warner Bros. has invested a lot of energy and money in trying to refocus and renew DC Studios, and this is going to be the big release from that," analyst David A. Gross from Franchise Entertainment Research told AFP.

The heavy task falls on the shoulders of Gunn, the writer-director who won praise from fans of the genre with Marvel's "Guardians of the Galaxy" trilogy.

The movie's rollout has already encountered several headwinds, including a right-wing backlash to Gunn's comments on Superman's role as an immigrant, and skepticism from fans of the previous Superman films helmed by director Zack Snyder.

Gunn has shrugged off the high stakes surrounding the movie's box office success.

"Is there something riding on it? Yeah, but it's not as big as people make it out to be," he told GQ Magazine.

"They hear these numbers that the movie's only going to be successful if it makes $700 million or something and it's just complete and utter nonsense."

The hype around the movie is real -- the White House even superimposed President Donald Trump onto one of the movie's official posters with the caption "THE SYMBOL OF HOPE. TRUTH. JUSTICE. THE AMERICAN WAY. SUPERMAN TRUMP."

- 'A diminished genre' -

Warner Bros. hopes the DC Universe can catch up with Marvel which -- after years of huge successes with the "Avengers" movies -- has seen more muted box office returns with the recent "Thunderbolts" and "Captain America: Brave New World."

Gross explained that superhero films hit a peak right before the Covid-19 pandemic, with box office earnings and audience enthusiasm waning ever since that time.

"It's really a diminished genre," Gross said.

However, the analyst said early buzz for "Superman" was "really good."

The film stars up-and-comer David Corenswet as the new Superman/Clark Kent, with "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" star Rachel Brosnahan playing love interest Lois Lane and Nicholas Hoult as arch-villain Lex Luthor.

The story follows the Man of Steel coming to terms with his alien identity as he finds his place in the human world.

The supporting cast boasts a selection of other DC Comics characters, from the peacekeeping Green Lantern (Nathan Fillion) -- who is scheduled to reprise the role in upcoming TV series "Lanterns" -- to the mace-wielding Hawkgirl.

Gross noted that July "is the top moviegoing month of the year," leading tracking estimates to forecast a total of more than $100 million for the film's opening weekend in North America.

- 'The story of America' -

DC Studios however must shake off a reputation for producing mediocre films that did not score well with audiences.

The last round of "DC Extended Universe" films included the well-liked "Wonder Woman" (2017) starring Gal Gadot -- but also box office flops like "Shazam! Fury of the Gods" (2023) and the under-performing "Aquaman" sequel with Jason Momoa.

"The success was mixed, and they were spending a lot of money on some of the new spinoff characters who were not working particularly well," Gross said, pointing at 2021's "The Suicide Squad" -- directed by Gunn -- as an example.

The last films featuring Superman, starring Henry Cavill and directed by Snyder, were relatively successful for Warner Bros. until "Justice League" -- DC's effort at recreating the "Avengers" vibe -- which lost millions of dollars.

Fans of Snyder have stirred up negative buzz for the new "Superman" movie, voicing hope online that the reboot fails out of a sense of loyalty to the previous films.

The backlash was further widened after right-wing pundits groaned about Superman's specific characterization as an immigrant, lamenting the superhero had become "woke."

Gunn addressed the criticism, telling The Times newspaper that "Superman is the story of America," with the character reflecting those who "came from other places and populated the country."

"I'm telling a story about a guy who is uniquely good, and that feels needed now," he added.

Ultimately, time will soon tell if Corenswet's chiseled looks and Gunn's directorial vision will be the superpowers that DC Studios need -- or prove to be its Kryptonite.