Viral challenge on TikTok: Teens in suits banned from entering ‘Minions’ film

London | Many British cinemas have banned teenagers from wearing costumes. Partners Because of the rowdiness caused by some young viewers inspired by the TikTok movement.

• Read more: “The Minions 2” hit the box office for the US national holiday

Following the #gentleminions trend, groups of suit-and-tie-wearing youths imitating the main character Felonious Gru and his signature gestures disrupted a screening of the film in the United Kingdom on Friday, filming themselves and posting videos on social networks. .

“Due to a small number of incidents at our cinemas over the weekend, we had to restrict access in some circumstances,” said a spokesperson for the Odeon cinema chain.

Mallard, Guernsey’s Channel Island, stopped showing the film due to ‘incredibly bad behaviour’ by some groups.

Cinema director Daniel Phillips-Smith told the BBC that the young moviegoers “threw things, swore” and argued with other audience members during the screening.

An independent cinema in Wadebridge, Cornwall, The Regal, warned on Twitter: ‘We currently do not allow costumed unaccompanied minors. The Minions 2: Once Upon a Time Crew“.

The animated film, whose release by Universal was postponed for two years due to the pandemic, explores the origin of the franchise’s main character from the first installment. Me, ugly and mean It grossed $3.7 billion at the box office in 2010, according to the specialty site IMDB, not counting the many spinoffs.

Released in the United States, United Kingdom and China on Friday, before being released in France on Wednesday, the film follows Gru, a story about a lovable villain who fails, surrounded by teenagers and an army of minions. Assemble a team of villains, Vicious 6.

Universal, which produced the animated film, acknowledged the runaway for its part, tweeting: “To everyone who appears in costumes on @Minions: We see you, we love you”.