“Transformers” released a slew of teasers and behind-the-scenes video ahead of the June premiere of “Transformers: Rise of the Beasts” — but yanked a scene that appeared reminiscent of the Sept. 11 attacks.
The seventh “Transformer” movie in the multibillion-dollar franchise is set to hit US theaters on June 9, and Transformers shared an extended trailer that included a clip of the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center surrounded by billowing black smoke.
The scene’s apparent evocation of 9/11 took many viewers off guard, and many didn’t believe the image could’ve actually been affiliated with a “Transformers” movie.
“This image certainly made me stop scrolling,” wrote Twitter user Daniel Kibblesmith in a Monday post with a screenshot of Transformers’ tweet touting the movie’s release with the jarring screenshot from the trailer.
Kibblesmith’s post accumulated more than 2.3 million views in less than 24 hours since it was posted.
Transformers’ caption read: “It’s about to be epic. Go behind the scenes with our cast and crew, and meet the new characters of #Transformers.”
As of Tuesday, Transformers’ controversial post no longer appears to be on its’ Twitter page.
Paramount Pictures International, however, also posted the clip, which remains on the film production company’s account.
The nearly two-minute teaser features Anthony Ramos, who stars in “Transformers: Rise of the Beasts” as Noah Diaz, an ex-military electronics specialist living in Brooklyn, N.Y.
“This is about to be epic. This is about to be epically crazy,” Ramos says in the behind-the-scenes video.
The footage then shows a peaceful NYC skyline boasting the Twin Towers before sharply cutting to an clip with the Statue of Liberty in the foreground and the World Trade Center surrounded by thick smoke in the background.
The movie’s director, Steven Caple Jr., goes on to clarify that the upcoming movie “in chronological order, is the second ‘Transformers’ movie. It takes place during the ’90s.”
“Transformers: Rise of the Beasts” is set in NYC in 1994.
“I didn’t think that it was possible, but here I am, even less interested than ever in seeing a transformers movie. They’ve done it again, the mad geniuses,” one Twitter user replied.
“This could’ve been easily avoided if they picked literally any other city besides New York,” another tweeted.
“That is…an unfortunate shot,” yet another said of the upsetting image, while another said it was “too soon.”
The Post reached out to Paramount for comment.
While the Twin Towers were not under attack in the trailer, it was unclear where the billowing smoke around them came from.
“Transformers” also angered social media users earlier this month when they caught wind of characters on the franchise’s animated kids’ series that identify as non-binary and use the pronouns they/them and she/they.
Meghan Kelly bashed “Transformers: EarthSpark” on Twitter, replying to an excerpt of the show by calling it “disgusting.”
In the 71-second clip, Nightshade makes an introduction with they/them pronouns to a character named Sam, whose pronouns are she/they.
Sam then shared her fears that “sometimes the world can be a scary place. It’s hard to know who’s dangerous or not.”
She continued: “I know I’m safe when I’m with my friends or other non-binary people.”
“Transformers: EarthSpark,” based on the robot toys created by Hasbro, has a core target audience of children ages 2 to 11 and airs on the streaming channel Paramount+.
[Written in collaboration with other media outlets with information from the following sources]
