Several Showcase Cinemas have axed the gangster film Blue Story, after the fracas at Star City in Birmingham, involving around 10 youths weilding machetes on Saturday.
The Mirror reports: “Listings have been taken down from the Showcase website and an automated message at cinemas confirms they’ll no longer be showing it.
Seven police officers sustained minor facial injuries as “tasers and dog units were deployed to restore order at the scene”.
“Many families who had visited view to watch the film Frozen II witnessed the distressing brawl and images portraying the chaos and evacuation of the cinema were widely shared online.
“It comes after Vue banned screening Blue Story from all its branches,” the report said.
“Two friends become caught up in the world of South London ‘postcode wars’.”
Meanwhile, online commentators have slammed the decision by Vue cinemas as “racist” while critics have suggested the film promotes gang violence, the report added.
“Showcase Cinema, an American company with more than 940 screens in the US, UK, Argentina and Brazil, were contacted for comment.”
A Birmingham Police spokesman said: “This was a major outbreak of trouble which left families who were just trying to enjoy a night out at the cinema understandably frightened.
“We worked quickly to move the crowds on, but were met with a very hostile response and officers had to draw Tasers to restore order.”
