THANK YOU FOR SMOKING STUBBED OUT!

In Twentieth Century Fox’s (TCF) upcoming social satire, THANK YOU FOR SMOKING, the film’s official poster artwork has been rejected for print advertising. TCF was informed by the Singapore Press Holdings copy vetting unit that the poster visual was unacceptable as advertisements deemed promoting smoking, cigarette and tobacco brands are prohibited by law.

The film poster has been approved for in-theatre display however, for print advertisements in the newspapers’ cinema listing pages, the artwork has been modified in line with the authorities’ anti-smoking stand. The revisions include the removal of the cigarette visual from the ad and the inclusion of the text “A SOCIAL SATIRE” below the title treatment.

TCF stresses that THANK YOU FOR SMOKING is by no means an encouragement of the smoking habit, rather, the film is a fiercely satirical look at today’s “culture of spin” based on Christopher Buckley’s acclaimed 1994 novel of the same title.

THANK YOU FOR SMOKING world premiered at the 2005 Toronto International Film Festival to critical and audience acclaim. Adapted for the screen and directed by Jason Reitman, the film stars Aaron Eckhart as Nick Naylor, chief spokesman for Big Tobacco, who makes his living defending the rights of smokers and cigarette makers. Nick’s notoriety attracts the attention of both tobacco’s head honcho and an investigative reporter for an influential Washington daily. Nick says he is just doing what it takes to pay the mortgage, but he begins to think about how his work makes him look in the eyes of his young son.

The film also stars Maria Bello, Cameron Bright, Adam Brody, Sam Elliott, Katie Holmes, William H. Macy and Robert Duvall.

THANK YOU FOR SMOKING is rated M18 (Sexual References). The film opens exclusively at Golden Village Plaza, Cathay Orchard Cineleisure and The Cathay on July 6, 2006.