Film posters for the new Lee Cronin film, "The Mummy," have been prohibited from outdoor public display across the UK. The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) issued the ban after receiving 30 complaints about the promotional campaign, which included adverts in London tube stations.
The ASA determined that a close-up image on one poster, showing a female with a mummified appearance and one eye swollen shut, gave a "realistic impression of a dead child." The watchdog concluded that this image was likely to distress young children and was therefore unsuitable for public display.
Warner Bros defended the campaign, stating it was prepared with "due responsibility to consumers and society" and was not designed to cause fear or offence. The studio explained that the character was a "living mummy" returned to her parents after being kidnapped as a child, and the posters aimed to reduce distress by avoiding explicit violence or intimidation.