Report: French Authorities Issue Ban On Filming Action Scenes in Wake Terror Attacks

Authorities in Paris banned filming police and army-themed action scenes inside the city over the weekend, out of consideration that actors and high-speed car chases could be mistaken for the real thing.

After a series of recent terrorist attacks, including the attack and aftermath regarding satirical publication Charlie Hebdo, politicians are concerned that action sequences could add to the tension.

Sylvie Barnaud, a police official who grants outside filming permission in the city, told The Associated Press: “There’s a problem with these action-type scenes, as the actors in uniform could be targets for terrorists. Also, the actors could pose confusion for the general public — during this highly sensitive period.”

Barnaud offered no details as to the possible duration of the ban, but tensions reportedly remain high in Paris, and armed police and soldiers are still guarding sensitive sites, such as synagogues, media offices, and high-traffic shopping areas.

A popular location for filming, Paris boasted 1,159 film productions last year alone, and will be hosting its annual Film Set Fair this week, in hopes that the city will continue to attract big productions, according to Fox News.

Numerous productions have already been disrupted, including Basic Instinct director Paul Verhoeven’s latest film, Elle. Verhoeven reportedly voluntarily cancelled filming after the Charlie Hebdo attack, having planned a sequence in Paris’ main police station.

Another film, Flics Tout Simplement (Simply Cops), was scheduled to include a scene with a police officer outside a school, but that was also scrapped.

The Cinema Mission of the City of Paris’ Agnes Naggeotte spoke of the impact the new restriction could have on American films, stating, “Even if Steven Spielberg wanted to film a big scene with police and a shoot-out in the streets in January, I’m sure it would not have got made,” she stated.