Some British cinemas have banned groups of teenagers in costume from screenings of Minions: The Rise of Gru. The decision comes after some teenagers were criticized for rowdy behavior caused by a viral trend on the social media app TikTok.

Several British cinemas have banned access to teenagers who came in elegant costumes to watch the second film of the “Minions” franchise, because of the commotion caused by some young viewers during the screenings, encouraged by the movement that has appeared on TikTok, AFP reports, citing Agerpres.

Inspired by the hashtag #gentleminions, groups of teenagers dressed in suits and black ties to impersonate Minions: Rise of the Grooze star Felonius Gru and his iconic gesture disrupted UK screenings of the film. On Friday, videos were filmed and published on social networks, which later became viral.

@lyndon.c Despicable af uD83CuDF4C #fyp #minions #riseofgru #cineplex #gentleman ♬ original sound – billh

Cinemas stopped screenings

“Due to a small number of incidents at our cinemas over the past weekend, we have had to restrict access in certain circumstances,” said a spokesman for the Odeon cinema chain.

The Mallard, the only cinema on the island of Guernsey, has stopped showing the film due to “incredibly bad behaviour” from certain audiences.

Cinema director Daniel Phillips-Smith told the BBC that these young moviegoers were “throwing objects, swearing” and fighting with other audience members during screenings.

The Regal, an independent cinema in Wadebridge, Cornwall, said on Twitter: “We do not accept unaccompanied minors in costume for Minions: Rise of the Gru.”

The new film shows Gru’s beginnings

The animated film, which was delayed two years by Universal Studios due to the COVID-19 pandemic, explores the origins of the main character of the Despicable Me franchise, which grossed $3.7 billion since its first installment was released in 2010, according to the website IMDb.

The new film, released Friday in the United States, Great Britain and China, shows the beginning of Gru, the lovable villain in this animated saga. Gru, when he was a teenager, accompanied by an army of “minions” tries to join the Vicious 6 group of villains.

Universal, which produced the film, expressed its approval of the teen movement, posting a message on Twitter: “To everyone who shows up at ‘Minions’ in costume: we see you and love you.”