Chloë Grace Moretz has hit out at the marketing campaign for her new movie Red Shoes & the 7 Dwarfs, after a billboard for the film was criticised for its body-shaming tone.
The film comes from South Korea’s Locus Creative Studios, with the company’s website describing the plot: “After seven handsome princes are magically transformed into seven ugly dwarfs, they set out on a quest to break the curse by getting a kiss from the most beautiful princess in all the land.”
The billboard for Red Shoes & the 7 Dwarfs was unveiled at Cannes Film Festival and features two women standing next to each other – one taller and slimmer than the other – with the tagline: “What if Snow White was no longer beautiful and the 7 Dwarfs not so short?” You can see it below.
https://twitter.com/kylebuchanan/status/867865881929502722
The ad was called out by various Twitter users, with plus-size model Tess Holliday adding that it sent out the wrong message to children. You can see some reactions below.
Speaking about misogynistic and body shaming publicity in Cannes… Being less thin and tall ≠ being less beautiful! #cannes2017 pic.twitter.com/r4f8fIQjBU
— Hugo Emmerzael (@HugoEmmerzael) May 16, 2017
How did this get approved by an entire marketing team? Why is it okay to tell young kids being fat = ugly? ??@ChloeGMoretz pic.twitter.com/PVhgwluGTM
— Tess Holliday ? (@Tess_Holliday) May 30, 2017
Chloe Moretz has responded to the criticism, stating that she is ‘just as appalled and angry as everyone else’.
“The actual story is powerful for young women and resonated with me. I am sorry for the offense that was beyond my creative control,” she added. You can see the tweets below.
I have now fully reviewed the mkting for Red Shoes, I am just as appalled and angry as everyone else, this wasn't approved by me or my team
— Chloë Grace Moretz (@ChloeGMoretz) May 31, 2017
Pls know I have let the producers of the film know. I lent my voice to a beautiful script that I hope you will all see in its entirety https://t.co/IOIXYZTc3g
— Chloë Grace Moretz (@ChloeGMoretz) May 31, 2017
The actual story is powerful for young women and resonated with me. I am sorry for the offense that was beyond my creative control https://t.co/HZP2ydPCAX
— Chloë Grace Moretz (@ChloeGMoretz) May 31, 2017
Speaking to CNN, Red Hells & the 7 Dwarfs producer Sujin Hwang says the ad campaign has now been brought to an end.
“As the producer of the theatrical animated film ‘Red Shoes and the 7 Dwarfs,’ now in production, Locus Corporation wishes to apologize regarding the first elements of our marketing campaign (in the form of a Cannes billboard and a trailer) which we realize has had the opposite effect from that which was intended,” he said.
“Our film, a family comedy, carries a message designed to challenge social prejudices related to standards of physical beauty in society by emphasizing the importance of inner beauty.”
“We appreciate and are grateful for the constructive criticism of those who brought this to our attention,” Hwang added. “We sincerely regret any embarrassment or dissatisfaction this mistaken advertising has caused to any of the individual artists or companies involved with the production or future distribution of our film, none of whom had any involvement with creating or approving the now discontinued advertising campaign.”