Warner Bros. has decided not to include an anti-war documentary in the package when it releases "Three Kings" on DVD, the New York Times said Thursday.
The documentary by "Three Kings" director David O. Russell features interviews with Iraqi refugees and veterans of the current war in Iraq. According to the Times, studio spokeswoman Barbara Brogliatti said Warner Bros. executives decided it would be "totally inappropriate" to distribute the documentary during the current political campaign season.
"This came out to be a documentary that condemns, basically, war," said Brogliatti. "This is supposed to be a special edition of 'Three Kings,' not a polemic about war."
The paper said the documentary was intended as a special feature on the DVD release, and as an added feature for a limited theatrical re-release for the 1999 George Clooney movie -- which was set during the 1991 Iraq war.
Russell told the paper he was surprised at the decision, but he said Warner Bros. was "gracious" to allow him to try to arrange an independent distribution deal for the film.
Russell's documentary does not mention -- let alone endorse -- either President George W. Bush or his Democratic challenger John F. Kerry.
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