Lee Cronin's The Mummy caused a bit of a stir prior to its release (more here), and the R-rated horror movie continues to court controversy in the UK, where it arrived in theaters in mid-April.
The U.K. Advertising Standards Authority has ruled that outdoor poster ads for the movie breached its code by presenting an image that gave “a realistic impression of a dead child.” The artwork features the Mummy of the title, young Katie Cannon (Natalie Grace), looking a little the worse for wear, as she does for most of the majority of the movie.
The posters likely caused more of a fuss than they usually would have because the ad campaign ran in untargeted locations, including on the London Underground and at a site visible from a children’s nursery.
“The ASA received 30 complaints, many of whom believed the ads were distressing for children and adults."
In the majority of cases, no publicity is bad publicity, and since The Mummy is now streaming, all this extra attention is likely to do is gain the movie more viewers.
Cronin shared the following response on Instagram.
"Hot off the record-setting resurrection of EVIL DEAD RISE, writer/director Lee Cronin turns to one of the most iconic horror stories of all time with an audacious and twisted retelling: LEE CRONIN’S THE MUMMY. The young daughter of a journalist disappears into the desert without a trace—eight years later, the broken family is shocked when she is returned to them, as what should be a joyful reunion turns into a living nightmare."
Lee Cronin's The Mummy stars Jack Reynor, Laia Costa, May Calamawy, Natalie Grace, with Veronica Falcón. The film was written and directed by Cronin, and produced by James Wan, Jason Blum and John Keville. The executive producers are Michael Clear, Judson Scott, Macdara Kelleher and Lee Cronin.