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The Razzie Awards have backtracked on the controversial addition of 12-year-old actor Ryan Kiera Armstrong in their Worst Actress category. Organizers have removed the young actor, known for her role in Firestarter, from the shortlist after the backlash.
The movie is based on Stephen King’s novel of the same name and features Armstrong as a young girl with the ability to create fire. Her parents (played by Zac Efron and Sydney Lemmon) have tried to hide her from a federal agency that wants to weaponize her power. However, things get much more complicated after an incident reveals where the family is.
"Sometimes, you do things without thinking," Golden Raspberry Awards head John Wilson said in a statement, via Variety. "Then you are called out for it. Then you get it. It’s why the Razzies were created in the first place. The recent valid criticism of the choice of 11-year-old Armstrong as a nominee for one of our awards brought our attention to how insensitive we’ve been in this instance."
Wilson went on to apologize to Armstrong for any "hurt she experienced", before announcing plans to introduce an age limit of 18 years old for future nominees. "We have never intended to bury anyone’s career," he added. "It is why our Redeemer Award was created. We all make mistakes, very much us included."
For more on awards season, check out our round-up of all the Oscars 2023 nominations, as well as some of the biggest surprises, snubs, and talking points so far. Or, if you're all up to date, here are all of the 2023 movie release dates to add to your calendar.
