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The film, based on a Martin Amis novel of same name, stars
Billy Bob Thornton and was due to be shown on Friday night and
then Saturday and Sunday afternoons. All have been canceled.
"With uncertainty surrounding the creative vision of the version
of the film scheduled to be screened on September 18th, we feel
it is only appropriate that we remove this film" from the
festival's lineup, TIFF said in a statement.
Cullen filed the lawsuit late on Tuesday claiming that producer
Chris Hanley and associates had "secretly prepared their own
version of the film" to lace it with violent imagery, according
to the New York Times.
The lawsuit said the added material included "incendiary imagery
evoking 9/11 jumpers edited against pornography," the Times
said.
"In its present form, the narrative is intercut with images of a
predatory drone, nuclear blasts, a person tumbling from a World
Trade Center tower, and what appears to be a gathering in
Mecca," the Times said after an earlier screening for media and
industry.
The producers of the film said in a statement they were greatly
disappointed that the festival decided to pull the film.
"We have always loved launching our films here, but feel that in
this particular case there has been an ill-considered decision
made against our rights," the statement said.
The statement said Cullen did not control the final cut of the
movie and that the production company would vigorously oppose
the lawsuit.
The Toronto festival earlier had to cancel screenings of the
Aretha Franklin documentary "Amazing Grace" after the singer
filed an injunction against its producers.
(Reporting by Alastair Sharp; With additional reporting by
Jeffrey Hodgson; Editing by Chris Reese and Paul Tait)
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