Idris Elba’s ‘Bastille Day’ posters pulled in France

Distribution company StudioCanal has pulled advertisements in France for Bastille Day, the action film starring Idris Elba, in the wake of the Nice terror attack that killed 84 people.

Bastille Day, which centres around a CIA agent trying to counter a bombing in France, was released in an estimated 233 cinemas on Wednesday, a day before the truck attack that unfolded in Nice during celebrations for Bastille Day, one of the country’s most important holidays.

The release date of the movie had already been postponed following the terrorist attacks in Paris in November last year.

StudioCanal has given cinemas the option to pull Bastille Day from their theatres. It will become clearer over the weekend which major exhibitors, if any, exercise that option.

The film has been directed by James Watkins.

Studiocanal, which financed, sold internationally, and distributed the film in France, has pulled all of its billboard and digital advertising in France. Cinema chains will decide whether to take down front-of-house promotion.

Although theatres were closed on Friday in Nice, they were open in the rest of France. The country will observe three days of mourning starting on Saturday.