`President' bookings pulled in Italy

Nearly one in three theaters due to show "Death of a President" _ which centers on the fictionalized assassination of George W. Bush _ has pulled bookings of the controversial British TV movie, the Italian distributor said Wednesday.

The film, directed by Gabriel Range, opens Friday. Out of the 100 theaters originally scheduled to show it, about 30 have pulled out, said Andrea Occhipinti, chief of the Lucky Red company.

"Many theaters have pulled out, saying they didn't want to have problems," he said.

Occhipinti decried what he called "pre-emptive censorship."

"The movie is thought-provoking and it's been summarily rejected before people even see it," he said.

"Death of a President" is a fictional documentary chronicling the sniper shooting of Bush during a trip to Chicago and the ensuing investigation. It blends archival footage of the president interspersed with fierce anti-war protests and other fictional scenes.

The filmmakers said they chose to use Bush rather than substitute a fictitious president to heighten authenticity.

Posters advertising the movie show a headstone with Bush's name, date of birth and the fictional date of his death, Oct. 19, 2007.

Occhipinti said that in Rome, about 600 of a total 2,000 posters have been taken down, apparently in a sign of protest.