Moviegoers worldwide have flocked to theaters to see two films with incongruous themes. But the Japanese distributors of "Barbie" apologized on Monday over memes that couple the feature with the biopic "Oppenheimer."

Fans started creating online mashups even before the movies were released on July 21. They combined the story of the dress-up doll with that of the physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer, who has been called the "father of the atomic bomb." The memes have come to be known as "Barbenheimer."

US marketers for "Barbie" shared some memes, writing "it's going to be a summer to remember." Their comments offended people in Japan who say they made light of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Distributors with Warner Bros. Japan stepped in to apologize. They said the posts from their US counterparts were "inconsiderate" and "extremely regrettable." They requested that company headquarters take appropriate measures.

Together, the films have surpassed one billion dollars in worldwide ticket sales. Warner Bros. Japan will release "Barbie" on August 11. The distributors of "Oppenheimer" have not announced a release date.