Um, better late than never?
U.K. authorities have banned a controversial poster for Warner Bros.' hit horror sequel, Final Destination 5, on the grounds it's too grotesque and violent to use as publicity.
Maybe they feared divine retribution or something.
Per the BBC, the country's Advertising Standards Authority issued the ruling despite the fact that FD5 has been in theaters for over four months.
Per the watchdog, the one-sheet displayed all over buses and the London Underground this past summer offered up a gory depiction of steel rods being thrust into the eyes and mouth of a human skull, shattering it to pieces, images which it deemed too disturbing.
"[The image] was likely to cause fear and undue distress to children," stated the ASA in its decision after receiving 13 complaints, including three from parents who said it upset their kids ages 1 to 3.
For its part, the studio defended the poster on the grounds that it's a surreal "fantasy image" that "accurately reflected the content of the film in an appropriate manner without causing excessive fear or distress." Warner also says "it's unlikely to engage the attention of young children."
Not that it's going to hurt Final Destination 5's box office. The latest installment has so far racked up $157 million in worldwide ticket sales, likely assuring we'll see another.
Perhaps then studio marketeers will be more mindful of U.K. regulators' concerns when they schedule another Destination? Or we guess they can just let fate decide.