Hereafter Pulled in Japan After Earthquake
By Mike Bracken
Posted Mar 15th 2011


With the tragedy in Japan still evolving on a seemingly minute-by-minute basis, it's an odd time to be thinking about movies and how the earthquake and subsequent tsunami will affect projects moving forward, but Warner Bros. has already pulled Clint Eastwood's Hereafter from Japanese theaters because it features a giant tsunami in the opening scene.

Clearly, there's going to be an impact.





The film, which hit DVD here today, started its theatrical run in Japan last month.

Deadline is reporting that the movie will stop screening in roughly 200 theaters immediately, with Warner Entertainment Japan official Satoru Otani saying that in light of current events, continuing to screen the film was "not appropriate."








This isn't the first time studios have scrambled to make changes to films in the wake of international tragedies.

Sony was forced to scrap a Spider-Man teaser trailer and poster in the wake of 9/11, for example. Those pieces featured imagery of the Twin Towers and were deemed a too painful reminder of the terrorist attacks.

http://blog.moviefone.com/2011/03/15/hereafter-japan-earthquake/

http://www.homemediamagazine.com/warner/warner-donating-hereafter-disc-revenue-japan-red-cross-23364


With Clint Eastwood’s afterlife film Hereafter pulled from Japanese theaters following that country’s devastating earthquake and tsunami, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group reportedly will give $1 million from the title’s disc sales in the United States to the Japanese Red Cross.

“The devastation and loss Japan is facing is almost incomprehensible,” Eastwood said in a statement. “I’m glad to join Warner Bros. in this effort to help the Japanese people.”

The movie, which stars Matt Damon as a psychic, features a tsunami in its opening scenes. It opened in Japan last month but was pulled earlier this week after an executive with the studio’s Japanese operations deemed the film inappropriate.

“Our hearts and prayers go out to the people of Japan," Kevin Tsujihara, president of WBHEG, said in a statement. "We are committed to supporting relief and rebuilding efforts during this difficult time.”

Hereafter was released on Blu-ray Disc, DVD and VOD March 15.