Complaints over the poster for Lee Cronin's The Mummy

The recent promotional poster for Lee Cronin's film The Mummy has sparked concern and complaints because of its unsettling image of a young girl. The poster shows the face of eight-year-old Katie Cannon, played by Natalie Grace, in mummy form. Her appearance is rendered with a grey, emaciated look, intended as a shocking visual element to support the film's horror theme.

Background to the film

The Mummy , directed by Lee Cronin, who previously became known for Evil Dead Rise , tells the story of Katie Cannon, who has been missing for eight years before being found in mummy form. The film's story is steeped in horror elements and focuses on themes of loss and return.

Criticism of the poster

Transport for London (TfL) confirmed that it had received an unknown number of complaints about the poster from commuters. The film's ad campaign is visible across London, including on buses and at Underground stations. BBC journalist Samira Ahmed said she had filed a complaint with the UK Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) over concerns about the impact such images could have on children and grieving parents.

Online reactions

Ahmed voiced her concerns on social media, and her tweet about the poster drew more than 2 million views. Reactions were mixed, with many people backing her concerns. Other users criticised the image, calling it a 'photo-realistic image of a child's corpse' and saying it was simply too disturbing for public display.

Next steps

Based on the current situation, the ad campaign may soon come to an end, as The Mummy has already been released. TfL has said that all ads on its property must comply with the Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP) guidelines and its own advertising policy. That means if the complaints are upheld, steps may be taken to remove the ad and to push for a rethink of how shocking imagery is presented in future campaigns.