Time Warner Shareholder: Freeman Must Be Reined In

Actor endangers 'Dark Knight Rises,' rep suggests
By Evann Gastaldo,  Newser Staff
Posted May 17, 2012 9:53 AM CDT
Time Warner Shareholder: Freeman Must Be Reined In
Morgan Freeman at the Governors Ball following the 84th Academy Awards on Sunday, Feb. 26, 2012, in the Hollywood section of Los Angeles.   (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Could outspoken Morgan Freeman's politics endanger the success of The Dark Knight Rises? That’s what one Time Warner shareholder warned at the annual shareholders' meeting this week, noting that while Freeman was promoting Dolphin Tale last year, he took the opportunity to call the Tea Party racist during an appearance on Piers Morgan Tonight. A rep for shareholder David Ridenour brought up the incident and noted that filmgoers are less likely to see movies with stars who disagree with them politically, the Guardian reports.

"What specific steps will Time Warner take to ensure that Mr. Freeman avoids such divisive and insulting words while promoting his next Warner Bros film, The Dark Knight Rises?" asked the rep for Ridenour, who runs a conservative think tank. He added that Dolphin Tale didn’t do all that well at the box office. Time Warner CEO Jeff Bewkes' response: "What can we do about it? Is that the question? Not much. It doesn't usually have a significant commercial effect on the success of the film." (More Morgan Freeman stories.)

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