Newtown shooting prompts film, TV programming changes

The entertainment world continues to change and adapt scheduled programming in response to Friday's mass shooting in Newtown, Conn., with the premiere of Quentin Tarantino's Django Unchained the latest major cancellation.

The Weinsten Company, the studio behind Tarantino's violent spaghetti Western and slavery revenge tale, has cancelled Tuesday night's premiere in Los Angeles. Instead, the studio has opted to hold a private screening for the cast, crew and their family and friends. There will be no red carpet.

"Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families of the tragedy in Newtown, Conn., and in this time of national mourning we have decided to forgo our scheduled event," the studio said in a statement.

Though already included on some best-of-2012 lists and among the frontrunners in the ongoing film awards season, Django Unchained has also sparked some controversy for Tarantino's trademark violent filmmaking style.

Meanwhile, after the postponement of Saturday's Jack Reacher premiere as well as a subsequent New York screening of the new thriller on Monday, star Tom Cruise is now headed to Pittsburgh for a scaled-down unveiling of the movie. 

Paramount Pictures announced on Tuesday that Cruise will introduce Jack Reacher — adapted from novels by Lee Child — to fans in Pittsburgh, where the production was filmed. In line with The Weinstein Company's decision, there will be no red carpet at the Jack Reacher screening.

"Tom and I insisted on it. Nobody should be celebrating anything 24 hours after a tragic event like that," the film's director, Christopher McQuarrie, told entertainment industry site TheWrap.com, referring to the Saturday cancellation.

TV opts for disclaimers, program swaps, specials

On television over the past few days, some networks swapped out shows that contain potentially upsetting content. Programming that was yanked ranged from the crime thriller Contraband on HBO to a Blake Shelton NBC holiday special (which features an animation about killing reindeer) to episodes of Fox's animated comedies Family Guy and American Dad.

Networks also added disclaimer warnings before broadcasting certain series, as Showtime did before airing the season finales of Homeland and Dexter.

These types of decisions are a ritual for entertainment companies in the wake of such tragedies, CBS entertainment spokesman Chris Ender told The Associated Press. Programmers pore over series and promos carefully to consider whether anything could be considered insensitive, with news of the shooting still fresh in the minds of viewers.

TV networks have also broadcast news specials about the shooting along with quickly assembled episodes of their regular daytime talk shows that explore its aftermath.

Friday's mass shooting in Newtown left 20 children and six adults dead, along with the gunman and his mother.