Old trailers will be destroyed

Tuesday 10th April 2012

Trailers advertising an out-of-date version of an Aardman film which include a joke about leprosy will be destroyed, Sony Pictures has said.

The distribution company, which holds the rights to Pirates! An Adventure With Scientists, has confirmed action will be taken to ensure only the new trailer and correct film will be shown.

The comments were made in a letter sent to Chelmsford-based Lepra Health In Action, which spoke out about the scene, which showed a man on a so-called leper boat whose arm fell off.

Aardman responded to the outcry and criticism by altering the film.

Now Jeff Blake, chairman of Sony Worldwide Marketing and Distribution has thanked Lepra for bringing the issue to Sony's attention.

In the letter, Mr Blake said: "In a letter dated January 24, 2012, we alerted cinemas to discontinue the exhibition of the trailer, which contained the offensive reference, and replaced it with an updated version. We have followed [this] up again.

"You can rest assured that we are committed to the changes made out of respect for your organisation and, most importantly, those that suffer from the disease."

Sarah Nancollas, Lepra chief executive, said: "Aardman and Sony were quick to change the scene which contained a leprosy joke and discriminatory references once they were made aware of the global importance of tackling misconceptions about leprosy. We are extremely grateful to them for their sensitivity."

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