Posters for Predator: Badlands Banned in the UK
According to the CinemaDrame News Agency, the UK’s advertising watchdog, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), has ordered the removal of digital posters for the action film Predator: Badlands. The posters, which depict a humanoid alien character lifting half of a robot’s body played by Elle Fanning, were deemed unsuitable for young children. Following the ruling, modifications have been made to the artwork.
According to the ASA, the image showed “the torso of a woman” along with “wires hanging from the lower part of her body.” However, The Walt Disney Company, which is marketing the film for 20th Century Studios, argued that the character is not human and that her appearance is “visually distinct from that of a human.”
Disney maintained that displaying half of the robot’s body “emphasizes its non-human nature” and noted that the image appears for less than two seconds in trailers designed for audiences over the age of 12. The studio added that Fanning’s character is not intended to be “disturbing or offensive” and is consistent with the film’s age rating.
However, the ASA stated that the posters were installed in public spaces where “individuals of all ages” were likely to see them: “The realistic depiction of the severed upper body of the smaller character and her exposed spine is, in our view, violent and likely to be distressing for young children.”
A Disney spokesperson said: “We take our responsibility to audiences seriously and will work closely with our partners to ensure the appropriate standards are met.” The tagline on the poster read: “Welcome to a world of hurt.”
In Badlands, the story centers on the Predator character named Dek, who shifts from villain to protagonist and forms an alliance with Tia, a naïve scientist portrayed by Elle Fanning.
