CBS NEWS
The Weinstein Co. has asked a toy maker to discontinue a line of
"Django Unchained" action figures after receiving complaints that they
were offensive.
The studio said Friday that such
collectibles have been created for all of director Quentin Tarantino's
films, including "Inglourious Basterds," and that they were meant for
people 17 and older, the audience for the film.
"Django
Unchained" is a violent mix of spaghetti Western and blaxploitation
genres about a freed slave (Jamie Foxx) who becomes a bounty hunter.
Civil rights groups argued that the toys trivialized the horrors of
slavery.
"We
have tremendous respect for the audience and it was never our intent to
offend anyone," The Weinstein Co. said in a statement. Toy maker NECA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Sources told TMZ that the company produced only about 1,000 figures before pulling the plug.
"Django Unchained" received a few Oscar nominations last week, including best picture and supporting actor for Christoph Waltz.