Russian Burger King demands ban on IT: Clown looks like Ronald McDonald

The R-rated horror film "IT" has grossed $268 million domestically, and is approaching the $500 million mark worldwide, which is a huge hit considering its $35 million cost. However, the film has encountered some problems in Russia, as Burger King's Russian branch recently appealed to the government to ban "IT".

Burger King Russia said that Pennywise, the clown in "IT", looks too much like McDonald's clown, and the movie's release is like a McDonald's advertisement to promote them. Newsweek reported that Burger King Russia filed a complaint with the Russian Federal Antimonopoly Service.

Pennywise the Clown was accused of being too similar to Ronald McDonald in terms of color and the balloons he was pulling. The white face, red hair, and bright red lips do make the two clowns look a bit similar, but many clowns look similar, and would anyone really be attracted to McDonald's by the clown in "IT"?

Russia's Federal Antimonopoly Service does not seem to be taking the investigation too seriously, saying it will only check whether "IT" contains actual product placement, and will not involve the content of the film itself because the director has his own understanding and creativity for all the characters.