Meet your newest controversial film of the year: "The Pirates! Band of Misfits." According to Deadline, the animated film is currently facing complaints over a scene involving a leprosy joke.
The moment in question features Pirate Captain, voiced by Hugh Grant, who jumps aboard a ship looking for gold. Unfortunately for him, a man onboard tells him "Gold? 'Fraid we don't have any gold, old man. This is a leper boat," followed by the man's arm falling off. The sequence did not please Lepra Health In Action or the International Federation of Anti-Leprosy Associations, who asked Aardman Animations for the scene to be removed, which the studio granted.
In a statement to Deadline, an Aardman spokesperson said:
"After reviewing the matter, we decided to change the scene out of respect and sensitivity for those who suffer from leprosy. The last thing anyone intended was to offend anyone and it is clear to us that the right way to proceed is to honor the efforts made by organizations like ILEP to educate the public about this disease.""The Pirates! Band of Misfits" hits theaters -- presumably controversy-free -- on March 30. [via Deadline]