Concerns over child actors' safety delays 'Kite Runner' release
LOS ANGELES (AFP) — The release of the film "The Kite Runner," which chronicles the lives of two children in war-wracked Afghanistan, has been delayed by six weeks due to concerns over its young Afghan stars' safety.
Paramount Vantage studio announced Friday that the film, based on the best-selling book by the same name, would hit theaters after Afghanistan's school year at the request of the two actors' school principal.
"At the request of the principal from the boys' school, we have moved the film's release date to December 14th, which is after their academic term," Paramount Vantage said in a statement.
"The situation in Afghanistan has deteriorated greatly since we originally cast the boys for their roles," the studio said.
"In watching this change on the ground in Kabul, it became apparent to us we needed an aggressive and comprehensive plan to ensure their safety," it said.
The studio said it has actively been working for months with Afghan experts, non-profit groups, government officials and former US government operatives to monitor the children's well-being.
"We are presently instituting plans so the boys will be out of Kabul during the film's release," it said.
"We are grateful to the boys and their families for their participation in the film and are committed to doing everything we can to ensure their ongoing safety."
The novel written by Khaled Hosseini, an American of Afghan origin, tells a story of friendship between a well-to-do Pashtun boy and an underprivileged child of the Hazara ethnic minority group, amid Afghanistan's perpetual state of conflict.
