Streaming platform Netflix has apologized for using an inappropriate promotional images for the upcoming French film Cuties. More than 170,000 people have signed a petition urging an immediate ban on the movie, whose images sexualize a group of 11-year-old girls.
Cuties is set to debut on Netflix on September 9 and has already won this year’s World Cinema Dramatic Directing Award at Sundance. Netflix had recently started promoting the film and used an image of middle school girls in minimal costumes. It caused significant outrage on social media, and a change.org petition was started asking Netflix to halt the film’s release. The petition reported the movie as disgraceful, creating a negative impact on young minds and “sexualizing young girls for viewing pleasure of pedophiles.” More than 25,000 people signed in less than 24 hours, and many canceled their subscriptions, too.