Movie about hitman may be postponed

The sniper who has shot 10 people in the Washington suburbs is still on the loose, and that poses a problem for Twentieth Century Fox. The Hollywood studio was all set to crank up the publicity machine for its thrillerPhone Booth, starring Colin Farrell and Kiefer Sutherland, about a sniper and the random victim caught in his crosshairs.

Now the studio is having second thoughts. Not wanting to be accused of either exploiting real-life violence or spawning it, Fox is seriously considering postponing the 15 November US release date.

"All I can say is, we're evaluating the situation," said Flo Grace, a Fox spokeswoman.

The film's screenwriter, Larry Cohen, said he would not object to a postponement and that he was relieved the film had not appeared already.