REUTERS — Movie studio Warner Bros went ahead with Tuesday’s (March 22) London premiere of “Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice,” its new superhero movie, but skipped the traditional red carpet press interviews following the attacks in Brussels.
“Our hearts go out to the victims of recent terrorist attacks, their families and the communities impacted around the world. Rather than yield to terror, we’ve decided to join the film’s fans and move forward with the London premiere of ‘Batman v. Superman’ this evening,” Warner Bros. said in a statement.
The movie, which stars Ben Affleck as Batman and Henry Cavill as Superman, is due to open in movie theaters around the world this weekend.
While photographers were able to take pictures of the stars on the red carpet, some film crews decided to interview fans on the outskirts of the premiere in Leicester Square.
“We came up yesterday from Spain, to interview Ben Affleck and all the other actors, and they told us today that because of the terrorist happenings in Belgium that we’re not going to be able to. So anyway we’re just around here interviewing fans,” said journalist Aly Eckmann, from a Spanish broadcaster.
Marta Perego, a journalist from an Italian channel who had traveled from Milan, adopted a similar tactic.
“I don’t know, we tried to do the best we could do, so we filmed outside, we spoke with fans and so on, we tried also to understand from the fans to be here at such an important premiere in such a sad day for Europe,” she said.
It is one of the biggest movie launches so far this year and is expected to bring in some $300 million at the global box office on its opening weekend, according to analyst predictions.
The London premiere took place in the city’s Leicester Square entertainment hub where Affleck, Cavill and other stars turned up, posed for photos, and signed autographs for hundreds of fans.
27-year-old Rajad, who was watching the premiere from the fringes of the crowd with her friend, said that to her everything seemed “normal”.
“Everyone’s kind of living life quite normally today, no one’s really – like when you’re saying to me I’m not scared, everyone seems similar, people are like chilling out having ice cream whatever, like what I was doing, nobody’s really thought about it, and I think because it’s become normal for us,” she said.
Meanwhile bloggers Stuart and Ashton, who had been invited to the premiere, said that turning up at the event was a way to “overcome” fear.
“Sometimes you’ve got to fight, like, what’s the word you’ve just got to.. Overcome it because if you let them win then… Then you won’t live your life, so we’ve got to keep going strong and tell them where to go, basically,” said Ashton.
“Also if we’re going to be protected by anyone, Batman and Superman… Not bad protectors really are they?” Stuart joked.
At least 30 people were killed and some 230 injured in suicide bomb attacks on Brussels airport and a rush-hour metro train in the Belgian capital. Islamic State claimed responsibility.
Britain, along with other European states, announced extra security measures on Tuesday following the Brussels attacks.
