Horror movie ad pulled after breaching violence standards

September 11, 2025 3:56

A still from the offending ad

Ad Standards has upheld a complaint against Universal Pictures over a TV advertisement for the upcoming horror film “Weapons”, ruling that a trailer featuring children in distress crossed the line.

The 30-second TVC aired across several free-to-air networks during prime-time shows including The Block, Masterchef, and AFL broadcasts. Media placement was by Universal Pictures’ media agency partner Essencemediacom.

The ad, narrated by a child, showed children breaking windows, jumping through them and running down dark streets.

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Lauren McNamara

Lauren McNamara is a freelance journalist. She previously spent three years at Mumbrella, most recently as the associate editor. She left her staff role in August 2025.