‘Django Unchained’ Premiere Canceled in Wake of Connecticut Tragedy
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Jamie Foxx and Leonardo DiCaprio in "Django Unchained." Credit: Andrew Cooper/The Weinstein Company.
More movie and TV premieres have been put on hold in the wake of Friday’s horrific shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn.
The premiere of Quentin Tarantino’s new movie, “Django Unchained,” a violent western in which dozens of characters are brutally shot, was canceled on Monday. The Jamie Foxx and Leonardo DiCaprio-fronted pic was supposed to be feted at a red carpet screening and party tonight in Los Angeles.
“Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families of the tragedy in Newtown, Conn., and in this time of national mourning we have decided to forgo our scheduled event,” the Weinstein Co., the studio behind the movie, said in a statement. ”However, we will be holding a private screening for the cast and crew and their friends and families.”
Tarantino dismissed the idea that violence in movies leads to real-life massacres at a press junket for “Django Unchained” over the weekend. ”I just think, you know, there’s violence in the world, tragedies happen, blame the playmakers,” he said, according to the BBC. “It’s a western. Give me a break.”
RELATED: Hollywood Reacts to Connecticut School Shooting Tragedy
Meanwhile, TLC has postponed the premiere of “Best Funeral Ever,” which centers on a Texas funeral home that throws a party after each service. The hour-long special, which could turn into a recurring series, was scheduled to premiere on Dec. 27. It will now air on Jan. 6, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
It’s not just movies and TV: Ke$ha’s latest hit song may be taking a hit on the airwaves. According to TMZ, ”Die Young” reached 167 million U.S. radio listeners on Friday but fell to 148 million listeners by Monday, an 11 percent drop — significant for a top 40 pop song — from what had been relatively frequent airplay. Reps for Ke$ha and Clear Channel, which tracks radio airplay, did not immediately respond to ABCNews.com’s requests for comment.
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Django Unchained supervising art director David Klassen, who also recently supervised Amazing Spider Man, has a sexual battery, libel, duress and malicious prosection case stacking up agaist him. His trial, accused with his girlfriend, v. a transgender singer for sexual battery and libel is in March.
Posted by: stacy | December 18, 2012, 4:51 pm 4:51 pm
violence begets violence and that is a fact!!!
Posted by: Carol | December 18, 2012, 7:56 pm 7:56 pm
Gee, I wonder if Hollywood bears any responsibility for all of the violence in this country with their gratuitous violence in the movies they produce? A lot of the movies that come out of that armpit are trash. I think it encourages bad behavior in people who can’t make good decisions on their own or who have mental problems like this kid in Connecticut. Maybe Diane Feinstein should look at the movie industry in her state as a catalyst to a lot of the violence infecting America today. No, that would make sense. Let’s just ban guns instead.
Posted by: Terry | December 18, 2012, 8:59 pm 8:59 pm
When will Tarantino stop making these horrific violent films?…he hasn’t suffered any great loss in his life or touched by the despicable violence that he promotes. shame on him he is responsible for these kids watching his ridiculous idiotic films that teach nothing but ignorance and hate and the need to destroy people. he makes me sick. his movies are terrible and his face is hard to look at
Posted by: a Mom | December 18, 2012, 9:18 pm 9:18 pm
If the media thinks it’s inappropriate to show certain movies or programs now because of CT, then when is it appropriate?
Posted by: Dr. Strangelove | December 18, 2012, 9:44 pm 9:44 pm
Don’t cancel the premier – that’s ridiculous. How about hold the premier, and ask all attendees to contribute to the Brady Project for gun control education and legislation? You could get millions.
Posted by: Sheila | December 18, 2012, 9:49 pm 9:49 pm
If a movie is too violent and offensive at this time, shouldn’t it be considered too offensive at any time? Why do people find violence to be entertainment? Are the people in our country really so sick that movies about people using guns and knives on each other are fun to watch? Tarantino’s movies are disgusting and he is actually not a very good movie maker if violent movies are all he knows how to do.
Posted by: petitemom | December 18, 2012, 9:50 pm 9:50 pm
All I can say is thank goodness.
Quentin Tarantino is a very twisted person.
Laughter about people being shot in the face? Please !
Posted by: Kathy Holden | December 19, 2012, 12:48 am 12:48 am
This is pathetic. Canceling the premier of what is most likely an awesome movie just to make the world suffer slightly to make some town in some state feel slightly better because they’re “making things happen” has got to be one of the most idiotic things ever. It’s like 9/11 all over again.
Posted by: soccermom victim | December 19, 2012, 7:10 pm 7:10 pm