"Step Up" isn't backing down.
In the wake of the horrific shooting during a screening of "The Dark Knight Rises" that left 12 dead and 58 injured, critics are urging the studio behind the snappy dance flicks to edit out a scene that contains eerie echoes of that tragic night — but the powers-that-be are declaring that scene will stay in the picture.
Why all the outrage?
According to E! Online, in the scene in question, dancers storm a room while wearing gas masks and police vests while wielding smoke canisters, a visual which no doubt shares ties to the Aurora massacre. Industry viewers who saw an early cut of "Step Up Revolution," the fourth installment in the franchise, have made a big push for Summit Entertainment to cut out this scene before the movie releases Friday. While the studio pulled down TV ads and trailers highlighting the scene, it refused to alter the actual movie in any way.
In a statement, the studio explained, "Because of last week's tragic events in Colorado, Summit immediately removed television advertising that briefly showcased that scene from the film. The scene also briefly appeared in a trailer released three months ago that the studio is no longer actively servicing. Having taken these steps, Summit will open this inspirational, nonviolent film in theaters nationwide this weekend as originally edited."
Guess that's that. Only time will tell whether the decision to move ahead with all systems go will pay off or not, but we should know once the weekend ticket sales figures come in.
