Warner Bros set to re-edit Gangster Squad?
The release of Gangster Squad may be delayed, as Warner Bros considers re-editing the film...
The aftermath of the horrible, horrible shootings in Colorado last week is seeing Warner Bros looking at what to do with its upcoming movie, Gangster Squad.
The film has been linked with the tragedy due to a scene - which is also in the trailer - of a cinema shoot-out. Incidentally, it remains to the shame of the site Deadline that, just hours after the events, it was criticising Warner Bros for releasing the trailer in the first place. The wonderful site The Shiznit summed up our thoughts on the matter here. The disgusting manner in which Deadline reacted to the shootings, by questioning their impact on box office numbers within hours, for example, leaves a horribly foul taste.
Warner Bros is in a really difficult position here, and it's now believed that the studio is strongly considering cutting the movie shoot-out scene from the film. Apparently, it's a pretty pivotal scene, and it's possible that it may involve reshoot work if that happens. That, in turn, means that the release date for Gangster Squad of 7th September is looking increasingly less likely.
We don't have to sit in Warner Bros' offices and make these decisions, so it's easy for us to say this. Our thoughts are, however, that recutting a film won't really change anything. There are bigger issues surrounding the sickening events than a scene in a film that was shot many, many months ago. And there are better websites than ours for discussing them.
There's more on the story at the Los Angeles Times, here.
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*facepalm* Recutting a film won't bring anybody back from the dead and won't prevent future tragedies from happening. Removing or toning down the key shootout from a film based on true events and real people would undermine the story and be ill-considered censorship on a par with Hays Code days. The Colorado shootings had nothing to do with movies - holding this single horrific event against film, casting out sledgehammer measures (even if they come from a desire to be sensitive) and conflating screen violence with real life violence all miss the point.
These type of knee-jerk reactions are off the mark and make works of art/entertainment the enemy when really the enemy is the disturbed mind of a single individual empowered by the fact he's armed. Movies don't kill people, guns do.
Link and cause aren't the same beast.
I can understand why they're thinking about it. It's easy for us to say 'We shouldn't give in, it shouldn't change our viewing habits or our art' but unfortunately, some people will be scared of going to a theatre now and some people will complain about a film including a shooting in a cinema and they have profits to consider.
American cinema goers complained just at trailers for United 93 being shown so that's what they're dealing with. Should they have to change it? No. But it makes business sense and that's something studio heads will bear in mind.
This isn't the first time this has happened and it isn't the first time it has p!ssed me off. I personally think people need to just stop being a pussy about things.
Sh!t happens. It's horrible, but it does.
There's war every day in other countries where children die while they're playing in the street. Yet, we still churn out war films depicting those very scenes and no one bats an eyelid. And why? Because it's happened on "foreign soil", that's why.
Absolute hypocritical idiots.
That is all.
Rubbish idea - sad that WBs doing this - James Holmes has won.
I'm not sure that cutting/refilming the scene is WB admitting that there's a link between screen and real violence. They're probably just concerned that the timing of the release is unfortunate and may be upsetting to some. I can understand that. Though I would have thought simply delaying the release of the film would be a better idea that changing it.
Speaking of unfortunate timing, Diana & Me takes the cake: a film about the paparazzi chasing Princess Di, and during the filming of the flick the real Di is killed in the car accident. It's little wonder that film didn't do much business...
Absolutley bang on! You are right, A1. Leave the film alone and stop having a fit about some nutcase that did a horrible thing.
Yes you are right! The only person to blame is the person pulling the trigger. He chose to do it. Guns dont kill people. Its the person WITH the gun. Its the person pulling the trigger. If they are that bothered about it, just dont relase the film for six months to a year. Problem solved.