In light of Friday's tragic Connecticut school shooting, two big film premieres have been postponed and a handful of violent TV shows forced not to air new episodes.
Tom Cruise's latest film "Jack Reacher" — about a former military police officer who is recruited by a sniper to help prove his innocence — was scheduled to premiere Saturday in Pittsburgh, where the movie was filmed.
Paramount Pictures released a statement saying:
Due to the terrible tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut, and out of honor and respect for the families of the victims whose lives were senselessly taken, we are postponing tomorrow’s Pittsburgh premiere of "Jack Reacher." Our hearts go out to all those who lost loved ones.
"Jack Reacher" director and screenwriter, Christopher McQuarrie, agreed with Paramount's decision to cancel the Pittsburgh premiere, telling The Wrap "Nobody should be celebrating anything 24 hours after a tragic event like that."
Fox, too, cancelled Saturday's red carpet premiere in Los Angeles for Billy Crystal and Bette Midler's new movie, "Parental Guidance."
The studio said in a statement:
In light of the horrific tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut we are canceling the red carpet press event and the after party for the "Parental Guidance" premiere, scheduled today in downtown Los Angeles. The hearts of all involved with this film go out to the victims, their families, their community, and our entire nation in mourning.
Television networks also changed the tone of their content over the weekend in light of the sensitive situation:
- FOX pulled Sunday’s new episodes of “Family Guy” and “American Dad” "to avoid airing potentially sensitive content so soon after the tragedy at Sandy Hook elementary school." Repeats of both shows were aired instead.
- Instead of the usual comedic opening monologue, "Saturday Night Live" instead opened this weekend's show with a children's choir singing "Silent Night."
- Syfy bumped Saturday night's episode of "Haven," in which a shooter rampages through a high school reunion, in favor of an old episode of the more mild inventor show "Eureka."
- Fuse pulled Friday's episode of Funny or Die's always inappropriate "Billy on the Street with Billy Eichner."
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