Sniper Attacks May Delay Phone Booth Release

By Cmaster2 October 15, 2002 12:23 PM

(WENN) Upcoming Hollywood thriller Phone Booth is set to be delayed because of the plot's similarity with the current sniper attacks in and around Washington D.C.

Nine people have been killed by a sniper this month, leading local citizens of the nation's capital and the neighboring Maryland and Virginia states living in fear while police try to track down the assailant. And now executives at 20th Century Fox are deciding the fate of Phone Booth, which stars Minority Report star Colin Farrell as a man stuck in a phone booth at the mercy of crazed sniper, (originally shot with Ron Eldard then reshot with Kiefer Sutherland).

Director Joel Schumacher is keen to avoid a delay and he says comparisons between the flick and the real-life events are "different cases" and he hadn't even thought about negative parallels. Joel says, "I mean, there are many serial killers that haven't been caught. Should they not release Red Dragon?" Phone Booth has already taken a long time to finally be made.

The movie has been in development for some time and at various points Jim Carrey and Will Smith were set to star, but dropped out.

| comments: 6

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Post YOUR opinion too!

W.t.f.   reply

Posted by Moose (moose@dtheatre.com) on October 16, 2002 3:24 AM

It's a sad sad world we live in when the release of a film is delayed by current events.

Update:   reply

Posted by Jack (jack@dtheatre.com) on October 17, 2002 10:26 AM

Twentieth Century Fox announced Tuesday that it has decided -- "in light of recent events" -- to postpone the release of Phone Booth, which had been scheduled for Nov. 15. The film, directed by Joel Schumacher, concerns a publicist (Colin Farrell) trapped in a New York City phone booth by a sniper (Kiefer Sutherland) hiding in a skyscraper, who threatens to kill him if he hangs up. A new release date for the movie has not been set.

That means it's official now.

RE: Update:   reply

Posted by Skullfire (hulacete@ubbi.com) on October 18, 2002 12:27 PM

Yeah! Why do you need to go to the theatre if you have it in real life?

Open in Washington everywhere.

RE: Update:   reply

Posted by A random shemp (No Email) on October 25, 2002 6:04 AM

That's really tasteless.

WHERE ARE YOU CALLING FROM?   reply

Posted by Skullfire (hulacete@ubbi.com) on October 25, 2002 8:16 PM

Try pie.

RE: W.t.f.   reply

Posted by WRXrally (Labelskates6914@aol,com) on December 5, 2002 9:10 AM

yeah it sucks that the sniper did what he did but i think that the movie should still be allowed to launch at the date is expected to be...