Gerard Butler’s new film London Has Fallen has been branded “insensitive” after its trailer was unveiled, days before the 10th anniversary of the July 7 bombings.
The teaser footage of the sequel to 2013′s Olympus Has Fallen shows the capital being bombed and destroyed, as Gerard’s Secret Service agent character Mike Banning fights off a new attack.
The trailer’s release also comes days after 30 British nationals were killed in the Tunisian beach resort of Sousse.
Philip Nelson – chairman of The Tavistock Square Memorial Trust, an organisation set up to remember the victims of 7/7 – said the timing of the trailer was wrong.
He told the Daily Mirror: “This is not the first time that Hollywood has been insensitive. If the story is about terrorism then this is extremely insensitive. People have also recently died of a terrorist attack in Tunisia.
“I have seen an image of Big Ben with the clock face blown out, that’s also insensitive. [Our Trust] has had lots of help from America, so I just think that these are the wrong images to portray.”
He added: “Is the summer the best time to be promoting this film anyway?”
The film, directed by Babak Najafi, also stars Aaron Eckhart as US President Benjamin Asher – as well as Morgan Freeman, Angela Bassett and Charlotte Riley.
It is scheduled to be released in 2016.
Film fans expressed their upset on Twitter.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article