Never let it be said that the Russian arm of Burger King doesn’t have its priorities in order. While the rest of the world is busy just letting hordes of literal clowns flock to theatres to see their good friend Pennywise eat and murder children, Burger King Russia is trying to keep its country It-free. But not because of the whole kid-killing bit.
Image: Warner Bros.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Burger King is petitioning the Russian government’s Federal Anti-Monopoly Service to ban It from showing in theatres because they argue that the Stephen King reboot could potentially hurt its business. Burger King is arguing that because Pennywise the Dancing Clown is featured so prominent in the film, It actually works as a form of advertising for McDonald’s, whose brand is inexorably tied to Ronald McDonald. Apparently, to them, Pennywise and Ronald McDonald look enough alike for It to be advertising.
Aside from their shared love of children and red hair, it’s difficult to make the case that Pennywise and Ronald have anything in common, and one imagines that McDonald’s wouldn’t want its brand at all associated with primordial evils that lurk in the sewers. It would give “kid’s meal” a whole new meaning.
It has been in Russian theatres since September 7 and, while the Federal Anti-Monopoly Service has confirmed that it received Burger King’s request, there’s yet to be any word of the movie leaving the country any time soon.