Paramount Pictures Australia, a Sydney-based film studio, apologized for a ”Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” publicity poster that features ninja turtles flying down from a burning building and a release date of Sept. 11.
Via Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures tweeted the poster Tuesday, July 29, and got the wrong kind of public attention. The poster implicitly depicted the U.S.’s 2001 terrorist attack with a building explosion background and a sensitive release date. The movie is also set in New York City.
The company deleted the tweet after the controversial poster caught the public’s attention, but that did not stop the poster’s criticisms.
Paramount eventually apologized for the unintentional combination of the poster and release date.
“We are deeply sorry to have used that artwork for the marketing materials promoting the September 11 opening in Australia,” Tom Roache, the head of publicity for Paramount Pictures Australia, said in a statement. “Combining that image and date was a mistake. We intended no offense and have taken immediate action to discontinue its use,” Paramount wrote.
While criticisms emerged around the poster, some people think it is not the company’s fault.
Wow Paramount… you sure messed up with the TMNT poster
— Rosie McCarthy (@Rrrrrrxox) July 29, 2014
WHO thought that poster would be a good idea considering date?? Or did they just think no one would notice or indeed care? #TMNT
— natalieholt1982 (@natalieholt1982) July 29, 2014
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