Bird Box: Netflix removes controversial footage of real-life train crash
By Christian Long
Credit: Netflix
While we never saw the monsters in the Netflix horror flick Bird Box, some controversial footage that was shown has been removed from the film.
Back in January, Netflix came under fire when it was discovered that Bird Box included footage from the Lac-Mégantic rail disaster in 2013. The incident killed 40 people and caused extensive property damage in downtown Quebec, and some stock footage from the scene was used briefly to help convey the film's "the world is coming to an end" vibe.
Now, two months later, Netflix has responded to the public outcry and removed the footage from the film. A statement issued to The Wrap reads as follows: "Netflix and the filmmakers of Bird Box have decided to replace the clip. We're sorry for any pain caused to the Lac-Mégantic community."
Nathalie Roy, Quebec's minister of culture and communications, took to Twitter earlier today to praise the streaming giant's decision.
Ce geste était attendu par respect pour les victimes de cet horrible drame, leurs proches et toute la communauté de #LacMégantic. Ce résultat démontre qu'en étant solidaires et en mettant nos efforts en commun, tout est possible. https://t.co/fxLUzhPkpv#MCC #PolQc #AssNat
— Nathalie Roy (@NathalieRoyCAQ) March 14, 2019
"The move was expected by respect for the victims of this horrible tragedy, their families and the entire community of Lac-Mégantic. This result shows that by being united and pooling our efforts, everything is possible," Roy tweeted.
This move comes after the Canadian Parliament voted to petition Netflix to remove the footage.
This is also the second Netflix original production that's come under fire for using the Lac-Mégantic. The time-travel series Travelers also included the footage, though the company that produced it was quick to remove the footage and promptly apologized.
Bird Box proved to be a smash hit for Netflix, with a whopping 45 million views within its first week of being released. Co-star Rosa Salazar has already devised an "insane" premise for a sequel, though there's been no official announcement at this time.
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