Disney has been scolded by an advertising watchdog over fears its promotional material for Predator: Badlands could have been “disturbing” for young children. The UK’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) upheld a complaint filed against a trailer of the movie, which was shown outdoors, after agreeing that images of Elle Fanning’s robotic character being held aloft by Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi’s character Dek could be misconstrued as a severed human body. The clip of Fanning’s damaged body, missing its lower half, appears on screen for less than two seconds, with Disney defending its inclusion by noting that Fanning’s character in the film was not a human but a “synth” robot. In its ruling, the ASA said it was not clear that the figure was not a human, and that the “realistic depiction of the smaller figure’s severed torso and exposed spine was gory and likely to be disturbing to younger children.” The ASA ruled the ad was likely to “frighten and cause distress to some children,” and must not appear in its current form. A Disney spokesperson told Deadline they “acknowledge” the ASA’s ruling. They added, “We take our responsibilities to audiences very seriously and strive to work closely with partners to meet the required standards.”
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