'Barbie' studio apologizes for 'insensitive' response to 'Barbenheimer' atomic bomb meme

TOKYO − Warner Bros., the studio behind the new "Barbie" movie, has apologized for the company's "insensitive" reaction to social media posts about the "Barbenheimer" blitz that combined images of Barbie and a mushroom cloud.

The memes triggered criticism in Japan for what many described as minimizing the atomic bomb attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

The movie about the world-famous doll and "Oppenheimer," a biography of Robert Oppenheimer, who helped develop the weapon, were released July 21 in the U.S., sparking the "Barbenheimer" craze for watching both and prompting memes combining the two.

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The images, which were not created by Warner Bros., showed Margot Robbie, who played Barbie, sitting on the shoulders of Oppenheimer, played by Cillian Murphy, with an orange inferno of an atomic blast in the background.

The official Barbie account said in response to the meme: "It's going to be a summer to remember."

In Japan, the only country to have suffered atomic attacks, the remark drew criticism, triggering angry messages and the trending hashtag #NoBarbenheimer.

“Warner Brothers regrets its recent insensitive social media engagement. The studio offers a sincere apology,” the company said in a statement to Variety, Deadline and The Hollywood Reporter. The offending post has been removed from the official Barbie movie account on X, formerly Twitter.

USA TODAY has reached out to the studio for comment.

"We apologize to those who felt uncomfortable because of these inconsiderable reactions," Warner Bros. Japan said in a statement on X.

One critical posting said many victims who perished under the mushroom clouds were children the same age of those playing with Barbie dolls and that the memes were inconsiderate. Others called them stupid and unforgivable, and urged a boycott of the movie.

The U.S. dropped the world's first atomic bomb on Hiroshima on Aug. 6, 1945, destroying the city and killing 140,000 people. It dropped a second bomb three days later on Nagasaki, killing another 70,000. Japan surrendered on Aug. 15, ending World War II and Japan's nearly half-century of aggression in Asia.

Warner Bros. Japan noted the "Barbenheimer" blitz is not an official campaign, but said the reaction of its parent company to memes combining images of the two movies lacked sensitivity.

"We believe it was extremely regrettable," the Japanese distributor said.

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"Barbenheimer" has proved to be a global sensation at the box office. Combined, the two movies have earned more than $1 billion to date worldwide.

“I think it’s the perfect double bill,” Robbie told USA TODAY before the Screen Actors Guild strike. “It’s like having a steak dinner, then an ice cream sundae for dessert. I want both!”

"Barbie" is scheduled for release in Japan on Aug. 11.

Contributing: Kim Willis and Patrick Ryan, USA TODAY

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'Barbie' movie studio apologizes for 'insensitive' response to meme