These days it seems like there's at least a fringe organization that is offended by practically every media message or presentation. Given that the public is bombarded with so many media presentations per day, it's hard to keep track of who is mad at what.
Film portrayals are often singled out and labeled as objectionable by one activist group or another. If they are lucky, the principals who stand to profit from the film sales are able to withstand any protest without any financial repercussions. If they aren't so lucky, they stand to lose a lot.
The article linked below lists eight films that had their premieres picketed. The following example is one in which the protesters, though strident in their threats, were not sucessful in creating negative financial consequences for the film:
"The Hateful Eight
Following Quentin Tarantino lending his support to the increasingly high-profile anti-police brutality movement in the US, several police organisations (The Patrolmen's Benevolent Association, the Los Angeles Police Protective League, and the Philadelphia Fraternal Order of Police), all called for a boycott of The Hateful Eight.
The Fraternal Order of Police executive director Jim Pasco promised there would be a 'surprise' for Tarantino 'any time between now and [the premiere].' Although having to explicitly rule out violence in retaliation to Tarantino's anti-police brutality statements, he did threaten to hurt him 'economically.'
The biggest shock about the so-called 'surprise' was that literally nothing happened. Whether it was decided that using police officers to intimidate or harass a high-profile anti-police brutality campaigner was a bad tactical decision, or whether a lot of cops really, really wanted to see The Hateful Eight, this was one protest that ended with a fizzle, not a bang."
Read about more films that had their premieres attended by protesters here.
Image: Double Feature Films