Gun violence prevention group March for Our Lives has criticized the marketing campaign for A24's The Drama as deeply misaligned with its serious themes. The statement came ahead of the film's premiere on April 4, 2026, starring Zendaya and Robert Pattinson. The organization called for more responsible promotion of content involving school shootings.
March for Our Lives, a student-led advocacy group, issued a statement on Instagram ahead of the premiere of Kristoffer Borgli's dark romantic comedy The Drama. The film features Zendaya as bride-to-be Emma, who reveals early in the story that she once planned a mass school shooting but did not carry it out. The group argued that while the movie may aim to address accountability, A24's marketing fails to handle the subject seriously. “The film may be attempting to engage real questions about accountability and change, but A24’s marketing does not meet it there,” the statement read. “With a subject this serious, especially in the U.S., that conversation cannot begin and end on screen. It has to carry through in how the film is presented. We understand that art can provoke discomfort and use humor to approach difficult subjects. But when something like a school shooting is treated lightly or played for irony, it raises a deeper question: what kind of conversation is this meant to start?” Executive director Jaclyn Corin told IndieWire that avoiding clear discussion of the topic's weight is a missed opportunity or worse. She suggested A24 acknowledge concerns from survivors, clarify the film's intent, and host discussions on gun violence. A24 declined to comment. Last week, Tom Mauser, whose child died in the 1999 Columbine shooting, called the premise awful, according to TMZ. Reviews have been mixed, with Deadline critic Pete Hammond describing it as a darkly funny film bound to spark conversation.
