It’s fair to say that a bit of pre-release controversy can do wonders for a film’s box office. However, unless the rumblings are manufactured as part of a marketing plan, there are serious issues at play.

As big screen comedies continue to push envelopes as a reflection of a society’s nebulous attitudes an amount of passionate response will always be in order. Perhaps not quite as dramatic as North Korea’s alleged response to The Interview, but there’s a recent example of how things can turn out.

Justin Theroux’s screenplay for Zoolander 2, and in particular Benedict Cumberbatch’s androgynous character, was met with disdain when it was included as part of the film’s trailer. Cameo-based marketing aside Theroux has responded to the criticism as the online petition to boycott the film (available to read here) is currently 741 signatures off its total.

The co-writer told The Wrap, ‘Our target is not, and never was, to disenfranchise anyone.’ And we caught up with Theroux subsequently to get his take on the fallout.

Theroux’s response, that the trailer doesn’t give the whole picture, is an important point – context is key. The detail that Cumberbatch’s character is the most powerful model in the world gives an indication of the importance of seeing the film before criticising it.

Our full interview with Justin Theroux, and Will Ferrell and Kristen Wiig, will be up on the site shortly.

Our other Zoolander 2 interviews.