A new wave on TikTok – followed by other social media – is causing an uproar in the land of the queen: Teens wearing suits and ties are being banned from seeing “Minions 2: The Rise of Gru” in UK cinemas.
The activity went viral with a video of several young people wearing the same outfit to match the style of the character Felonius Gru, as well as imitating other characteristics of the villain. The joke is, of course, using the hashtag #gentleminions and sharing on TikTok – which left other viewers who were more interested in the film upset with the behavior.
“Due to a small number of incidents at our theaters over the weekend, we had to restrict access to theaters under certain circumstances,” explained a spokesperson for the Odeon theater chain.
The Mallard, the only cinema on the Channel Island of Guernsey, stopped showing the film due to “incredibly incorrect behavior” by some groups. The theater director Daniel Phillips Smith explained to the BBC that some young viewers “swore, threw objects” and fought with other viewers during the sessions.
Released on Friday in the US, UK and China, the film follows back to the beginning of Gru, the failed villain of this saga – who started in “Despicable Me”, seeking to join a group of bandits: the Vicious 6 as a teenager – and surrounded by an army of “Minions”.
Universal Pictures, on the other hand, is loving the idea and all the repercussions, supporting the initiative on its social networks.