Update: Parkland dad gets 'Happy Death Day 2U' horror flick release date changed after online plea
Fred Guttenberg, whose daughter Jaime was killed in the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting, made a public plea to Universal Pictures to change the Feb. 14 release date of the upcoming film Happy Death Day 2U — and it has officially been changed.
Guttenberg — who was upset the horror/slasher flick would be released on the one-year anniversary of the Parkland shooting, when a gunman killed 17 students and staff members at a Florida high school — shared the update Monday afternoon on Twitter. He called it a “great outcome.”
Very happy to announce that I just got off the phone with executives at Universal Studios. They will be moving the release date of the movie off of February 14th and they will also be taking steps to address the local needs of the Parkland community. This was a great outcome.
— Fred Guttenberg (@fred_guttenberg) January 16, 2019
A spokesperson for the film studio tells Yahoo, “When Universal Pictures became aware last week that the one-year anniversary of the tragic events in Parkland, Florida, fell on theHappy Death Day 2U release date, the studio spoke with victim advocates and immediately began the process of changing the release date of the film. Following discussions with its partners in exhibition, Universal will move the North American release date to February 13.”
Additionally, “The studio has decided not to show the film in Parkland and the surrounding areas,” says the rep. “Outdoor, digital and in-theatre marketing for the film will be suspended in that market. The studio understands the importance of memorializing the February 14 date as an opportunity to continue to allow the Parkland community to heal.”
On Tuesday night, Guttenberg took to social media to “plead” with the studio and producers — Jason Blum’s Blumhouse Productions — to “please reconsider” the date. He wrote, “I get the pun on Valentines Day, for me it will always be the day my daughter was murdered.”
My daughter and 16 others were killed on February 14th. Universal Studios is releasing a move a movie called Happy Death Day 2 U? I get the pun on Valentines Day, for me it will always be the day my daughter was murdered. Please reconsider this!!!!https://t.co/mcx72VKE7A
— Fred Guttenberg (@fred_guttenberg) January 16, 2019
When someone tagged some of the more vocal celebrities on Twitter, Guttenberg thanked them and added a message. “For my family and 16 others, February 14th will always be death day and this movie will make this painful day worse.” (Guttenberg did connect with Rosanna Arquette.)
Thank you for tagging everyone as we must move the release date of this movie. For my family and 16 others, February 14th will always be death day and this movie will make this painful day worse.
— Fred Guttenberg (@fred_guttenberg) January 16, 2019
On Wednesday, he also posted directed at Blum “pleading” with the producer “to move this date.” He promised, “I will work with you in any way to help make your movie successful, just please move the release date.”
@jason_blum, @blumhouse I sent you an email about this earlier. Please, take a look at my email. I am pleading with you to move this date. I will work with you in any way to help make your movie successful, just please move the release date. Thank you. https://t.co/H1Buk0gG3x
— Fred Guttenberg (@fred_guttenberg) January 16, 2019
The film is a sequel to the 2017 flick Happy Death Day, which was described as Groundhog Day meets Scream, and was written/directed by Christopher Landon. It picks up two years later and, according to the film summary, Tree (Jessica Rothe) discovers that “dying over and over was surprisingly easier than the dangers that lie ahead.” It also stars Israel Broussard and Ruby Modine.
This story was originally published on Jan. 16, 2019 at 9:58 a.m. ET.
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