After shooting, 'Gangster Squad' opening delayed

[July 27, 2012]  NEW YORK (AP) -- Warner Bros. is moving the release of "Gangster Squad" to January after the film's climactic cinema shoot-out scene drew comparisons to the Aurora, Colo., shooting.

"Gangster Squad" chronicles a bloody 1940s battle between Los Angeles police and mobsters. It culminates in a scene where gangsters shoot automatic weapons into a crowded movie theater from behind the screen.

A spokesman for Warner declined to comment on whether the scene would be reshot or edited. The trailer for the film was pulled from theaters after the Colorado theater shooting.

The film had been planned for a Sept. 7 release. The postponement means "Gangster Squad" won't be eligible for Academy Awards consideration this year, shifting from a plum fall release to a month often considered something of a dumping ground.

[Associated Press]

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