220,000 people have signed a petition urging The Academy to remove a film based on James Bulger from the list of Oscar nominees.
The appeal was launched after it was announced that “Detainment” has been shortlisted for an award.
James’s mum, Denise Fergus, and her agent slammed the film as ‘disgusting’.
Posting on Facebook at the time, Ms Fergus said: ‘It’s one thing making a film like this without contacting or getting permission from James’s family.
‘But [it’s] another to have a child re-enact that final hours of James’s life before he as brutally murdered and making myself and my family have to relive this all over again!’
A woman named Lisa Young launched the petition saying ‘This petition is to stop James Bulger movie about his murders from being shown and the Oscar nomination taken away.
‘It is a heartless thing to do, there was no discussion to James family about this movie being made and given the OK to go ahead. ‘If any movie is being made that involves real life stories should always check with the victims families before they start filming and should be law.
‘Victims and their families must come first.’
Since being launched, the petition has received 225,000 signatures of it’s 300,000 target.