Topless Florence Pugh Scene in ‘Oppenheimer’ Digitally Censored (With a CGI Black Dress) in Middle East, India

Christopher Nolan may be known for his aversion to CGI. But when it comes to bowing to the sensitivities of some countries, it would seem this is of little relevance.

In his historical epic Oppenheimer, a scene featuring a topless Florence Pugh fell foul of the censors in the Middle East and India, with the actress — who plays Jean Tatlock (who has an affair with Cillian Murphy’s J. Robert Oppenheimer) — being covered up in a CGI black dress.

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Rather than cut the scene in question, sources close to the film say that a “soft base” version, with Pugh digitally dressed, was used to secure a release across the Middle East, where nudity is forbidden in cinema, and in India, where the film has a UA rating, meaning it’s classified for viewers with parental guidance for children below 12 years old.

According to the sources, the edits were made “per usual business practice” for the film to be released in certain territories.

Oppenheimer isn’t the first time a computer-generated black dress has been deployed to cover up exposed Hollywood skin.

Asghar Farhadi’s Oscar win for The Salesman at the 2017 Academy Awards was proudly triumphed by Iranian state TV. However, the broadcast by the Iranian Labor News Agency saw presenter Charlize Theron’s gold lamé Christian Dior given CGI black sleeves and a collar to hide her arms and neckline. Unfortunately, viewers noticed that the rather blurry digital wardrobe additions didn’t consistently move with the actor.

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