Martin Scorsese has added his support to a new idea by a British artist who wants film-makers to destroy real guns every time fake ones are used on screen.
The plan, entitled the Gun Neutral campaign, was created by Carl McCrow, who is an executive producer on a film that Scorsese is also producing.
Tomorrow, starring Stephen Fry, is a drama about a soldier with PTSD, and McCrow’s plan was implemented throughout its production.
“I’m really pleased,” McCrow said to The Independent. “If we can set this as a standard, then who knows how many lives could be saved. The simple fact is that there are too many guns and they ruin people’s lives every day.”
McCrow has likened the campaign to carbon-offsetting schemes that see trees planted or other environmental investment made in response to activity that threatens global wellbeing. He wants film producers to donate to his charity One Less Gun , which aims at destroying weapons found in war zones.
Scorsese is one of many Hollywood figures to have put their weight behind a call to lessen the impact of gun violence. Earlier this year, Liam Neeson criticised the number of weapons in the US.
“There’s too many guns out there,” Neeson said. “Especially in America. I think the population is like, 320 million? There’s over 300 million guns. Privately owned, in America. I think it’s a disgrace. Every week now we’re picking up a newspaper and seeing yet another few kids have been killed in schools.”
But not everyone in the industry agrees. In June, Vince Vaughn sparked controversy after he said he supported people “having a gun in public, full stop”.