Studio Pulls Ads for ‘Bastille Day’ Action Movie after Nice Terror Attack

Studiocanal has pulled all advertising in France for its latest film Bastille Day, an action thriller that centers around a bombing attack in Paris, in the wake of the terrorist attack in Nice, France on Thursday that claimed the lives of 84 people and injured more than 100 others.

According to Variety, Studiocanal, which is distributing the film in France, yanked all billboards and digital advertising for the film in the country, and also pulled posters from city train stations.

In the film — which was released in just over 200 theaters across the country on Wednesday — Idris Elba plays a CIA agent who must partner with a small-time thief to stop a terrorist bombing on the French holiday of Bastille Day.

Posters for the film included the tagline, “This year, they are the fireworks,” according to the Hollywood Reporter.

One Twitter user pointed out that a variant of the film’s poster features a truck crashing through other cars at high speed.

"Bastille Day" movie poster 83 days before NICE terror attack. Notice the car crashing through the street! pic.twitter.com/1cCqhzooYU

— Enterthe5t4rz (@Enterthe5t4rz) July 15, 2016

During Bastille Day celebrations in Nice Thursday night, a terrorist thought to be connected to the Islamic State drove a lorry through a crowd of people at the Promenade des Anglais, killing 84 and wounding more than 100 others before being shot dead by police.

A representative for Studiocanal said that theaters in France could pull the film from screens altogether if they wish, though it was not immediately clear if any theater owners had taken up the offer.

The film’s UK and Germany release dates, originally scheduled for February and March, respectively, had already been pushed back due to the terrorist attack in Paris in November that left 130 people dead and hundreds more injured. The film was released in Britain in April. Focus Features reportedly holds U.S. distribution rights, but no release date has yet been set.

Movie theaters in Nice were closed Friday, but remained open across the rest of the country.

 

Follow Daniel Nussbaum on Twitter: @dznussbaum