Ninja Turtles 9/11 poster removed from social media after Paramount Pictures cops heat

PARAMOUNT Pictures Australia has landed itself in hot water over a controversial 9/11 poster for the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film.

PARAMOUNT Pictures Australia has landed itself in hot water over a controversial 9/11 poster for the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film.

The studio tweeted the poster promoting the movie’s September 11 release which showed the four masked heroes falling from a burning New York skyscraper.

“Check out the official poster for #TMNT in cinemas September 11,” the tweet said.

The poor taste Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles poster tweeted by Paramount. Picture: Paramount

The promo reportedly remained on social media for a few hours before being deleted from the studio’s Twitter and Facebook pages last night, but not before sparking plenty of social media backlash.

I have no words except this is the best example of really shifty judgment i've ever seen. http://t.co/4D4jtjDzwv

— Jordan Lanning (@mrsuperguy) July 29, 2014

9/11 is a day of mourning. Why is @ParamountAU even releasing movie entertainment that day? http://t.co/KJ3R2e6R3w via @THR

— Andy (@EssentialCity) July 30, 2014

Check out 9/11 references in new 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' movie poster by Paramount Pictures. Big fail. pic.twitter.com/TUvZ2kdnIU

— Illegal Alien (@rovibe71) July 29, 2014

Someone's getting fired over those TMNT posters. http://t.co/U7Rhm26Fgh

— m0therzer0 (@m0ther) July 29, 2014

Paramount said in a statement: “We are deeply sorry to have used that artwork for the marketing materials promoting the September 11 opening in Australia. Combining that image and date was a mistake. We intended no offence and have taken immediate action to discontinue its use.”

The Michael Bay-helmed film opens in Australia on the 13th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center.

The US version of the film poster uses a different image featuring the characters in a group shot. The action flick starring Megan Fox, Johnny Knoxville and Will Arnett, hits US cinemas on August 8.

Will Arnett and Megan Fox star in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.