The shooting at NIU that claimed five lives will not derail Dark Matter, film starring Meryl Streep that depicts a school shooting, the film's distributor tells Radar. It's scheduled for release April 11.
"At this time, American Sterling Productions plans to release the film, Dark Matter, as scheduled," said Joe Braier, director of marketing and operations for the film's financier in a statement. "Campus safety continues to be a concerning issue that needs to be shared and discussed by all. Our hearts and prayers go out to all those affected by the recent events that took place at NIU."
Directed by Chinese-born director Chen Shizheng, the film stars Streep as a professor who befriends a genius student, played by rising Chinese star Liu Ye (imdb.com describes it as being "based on actual events"). Its release was delayed following last year's shooting death of 32 people on April 16 by Korean-American student Cho Seung-hui at the Virginia Tech campus in Blacksburg, Virginia. But a rash of school shootings since then coupled with the fact that the film is intended not as a commentary on the shootings themselves, lead distributors to plow ahead.
"We feel like we've been extremely respectful in postponing almost a year," Gary Rubin, president of distributor First Independent Pictures tells Radar. "Our focus is by no means on this issue and by no means do we want to capitalize on it."