Campaign groups have in Britain have slammed Universial Pictures, the studio behind the recent box office comedy Couples Retreat, after two black actors were airbrushed from advertisements across the pond.

American posters for the film — which stars Vince Vaughn and Kristin Davis — features all eight of the movie’s principal actors, including Afro-Cuban comedian Faizon Love and African-American actress Kali Hawk. But Love and Hawk were removed from the promotional campaign ahead of the movie’s U.K. release last month.


“I think this was an ill-conceived move. We celebrate diversity in Britain and we could have coped with seeing the same poster used in America,” says Vivienne Pattison, spokeswoman for Mediawatch-UK.

A spokesperson for Universal Pictures apologized for any offence the posters may have caused: “(The new image was used) to simplify the poster to actors who are most recognisable in international markets.”