Oppenheimer is playing around the world in every country except Japan

Japanese residents are being forced to wait a little longer to see Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer on the big screen.

An event many are describing as ‘Barbenheimer’ is currently sweeping UK cinemas — with film fanatics seeing Greta Gerwig’s Barbie and Oppenheimer in one fell swoop.

The Nolan movie, starring Cillian Murphy, is estimated to open with around $50 million (£43 million) this weekend while its Mattel-based competitor is expected to draw in upwards of $100 million (£86 million).

You can watch the official trailer below:

It’s fair to say that cinephiles across the globe are enjoying their spoils this weekend. Except of course, if they live in Japan.

While Nolan’s 12th feature film hasn’t exactly been banned in the country, it is yet to be given an official release date.

According to a Universal spokesperson, “plans have not been finalised in all markets.”

So while Oppenheimer won’t have a theatrical release in cinemas this weekend, it doesn’t mean that it won’t be arriving on Japanese shores soon.

If you’re unfamiliar, then the highly-anticipated movie follows the life of theoretical physicist J Robert Oppenheimer who helped develop the first-ever nuclear bomb.

Universal Pictures

His work on the top-secret Manhattan Project eventually led to two atomic bombs being detonated by the United States during the Pacific War in 1945.

When the invention was set off, an estimated 200,000 people in the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were killed - with the subsequent fallout being equally as devastating.

Speaking about his creation with The Independent, Nolan, 52, said that Oppenheimer is ‘an intense story’.

“I showed it to a filmmaker recently who said it’s kind of a horror movie, he continued, “I don’t disagree.”

Universal Pictures

Many film fans have already experienced Barbenheimer weekend and have taken to social media to discuss the duo of newly-released movies.

One Twitter user offered cinemagoers some advice: "Having done #Barbenheimer, I can confirm that the order should be Barbie first, then Oppenheimer.

“But give yourself a break in between. Give both movies room to breathe. Have all the emotional fun with Barbie, let it soak in, then see Oppenheimer and sit with the weight of it.”

Another said: “As silly as it is...#Barbenheimer reminds me what I enjoy about the movie sphere again. After years of having constant divided, bickering on what's 'woke', what should fail, what movies have agendas and laughing at (sic) box-office stumbles it's nice to have a celebration of movies again.”

A third said that Oppenheimer was a: “Phenomenal movie. Unbelievable performance. Christopher Nolan never misses. Need to watch it again.”