Lionsgate decided to cancel Cold Pursuit red carpet premiere after lead actor Liam Neeson made racial comments while promoting the film.
The studio had no comment about the situation, but a source said that Lionsgate has decided to cancel the red carpet for the New York City premiere of Neeson's Cold Pursuit because of his recent revelation in an interview with The Independent, where he said he was hoping to kill some black men when he found out his close friend was brutally raped.
In the interview earlier this week, Neeson revealed one of his close friends was assaulted by a black man four decades ago. The actor admitted he took to the street seeking for revenge. He said the incident happened about 40 years ago, wherein his very dear friend was brutally raped. Neeson said he was out of the country the time it happened and his friend told him about it when he came back.
Neeson then said he felt a primal urge to lash out, a feeling he never felt before. The actor asked his friend if she knows the person, but she didn't know who assaulted her. He then asked his race and his friend told him he was a black man. From there, the actor said there were nights he goes to into black areas in the city looking to be set upon so he could unleash physical violence.
He said he did it about four or five times until he caught himself on. He said he was shock and hurt, he seeks help and went to a priest to confess. The actor added he had two very good friends whom he can talk to. He also did power walking two hours a day.
On Tuesday, Neeson apologized during his appearance on Good Morning America. He explains his side and said his remarks were taken out of context. The actor said he is not racist and the incident happened almost 40 years ago. Meanwhile, Neeson reportedly canceled his appearance on an upcoming Friday, February 8th episode of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert to promote Cold Pursuit.
Neeson plays the role of Nelson Coxman in Cold Pursuit, he is a snowplow driver who investigates the mysterious death of his son. The film was directed by Hans Petter Moland and was based on a Norweigan film in 2014, Ion Order of Disappearance.
Cold Pursuit will hit the theaters in 2,500 locations this February 8.
