Netflix has finally issued an apology for the poster it had released for its upcoming movie Cuties, a poster that had received backlash over being widely viewed as the sexualization of children.
The original poster and Netflix’s apology
“We’re deeply sorry for the inappropriate artwork that we used for for the movie. It was not OK, nor was it representative of this French film which premiered at Sundance. We’ve now updated the pictures and description,” Netflix said in a statement.
The original artwork portrayed the film’s main characters in suggestive poses and dressed in revealing outfits.
The poster had been received negatively over the internet and people compared the French version that showed kids having fun to the sexualized American version that was originally released by Netflix and called the latter “gross”.
It is not clear if the poster was created by the streaming giants or provided by an agency, but Netflix moved to take an action swiftly after the outpour of negative feedback and disgust on general public’s part.
About Cuties
‘Cuties’ is directed by French filmmaker Maïmouna Doucouré and premiered at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival. It is the story of an 11-year-old Senegalese immigrant Amy who tries to escape family dysfunction by joining a free-spirited dance clique named ‘Cuties,’ as they build their self-confidence through dance.
It is a coming-of-age drama-comedy that shows how Amy’s own interests and how her family’s traditional Muslim values put her into a state of conflict as she becomes fascinated and pulled towards the dance troupe.
Discordant with the poster that Netflix had originally released, Cuties reportedly takes a critical view of the ways contemporary culture sexualizes young women.
Cuties: Release date and other information
The film that won the World Cinema Dramatic Directing Award at the Sundance Film Festival in January, was asked to be dropped by Netflix at a point. A petition advocating for its removal had collected about 44,000 signatures.
Although the controversial poster had an adverse effect on the marketing of the film, Cuties is still slated to debut on Netflix on September 9.
Stay tuned to The Hollywood Tribune for updates on Cuties and more news from Hollywood and Beyond.
