The trailer released in November for producer Michael Bay's Project Almanac showed the main characters watching footage of a plane crash on TV, which was caused by them using a time travel device. As it turns out, first-time director Dean Israelite used footage from an actual 1994 B-52 plane crash at Fairchild Air Force Base in Washington state, which killed four Air Force officers. Family members of two crash victims, Col. Robert Wolff and Lt. Col. Mark McGeehan, reached out to Air Force Times, saying they were "outraged" that the footage was used in a completely different context from what happened to their loved ones.
Paramount is responding by removing the footage from the film and all of the promotional materials, with a studio spokesperson confirming that this will not affect the January 30 release. Michael Bay also responded with a statement to Air Force Times on why he made the decision to cut the scene, which you can read in its entirety below:
My relationship with the United States military has been very strong my entire film career. Every branch of service has appeared in my past films or TV shows. I have encountered nothing more than extraordinary brave men and women who serve our country. I'm very proud to be able to represent them professionally in my films.
Unfortunately today I learned that the movie Project Almanac, produced by my Platinum Dunes company, directed by a talented first-time director, used a 2-second shot in a grainy news clip of a real B-52 crash. When the director presented his cut to me, I actually thought the short clip was a created visual effect like many of the other shots in the film.
I let film directors make their movies at Platinum Dunes and give them tremendous responsibilities. Well, unfortunately a very bad choice was made to use a real crash instead of creating a VFX shot, without realizing the impact it could have on the families.
I have asked Paramount Pictures to remove this shot immediately from the picture. I want to also extend my deepest apology to the families, and also to the U.S. Air Force.
Col. Robert Wolff's daughter, Whitney Wolff Thompson, said in an email statement to Air Force Times that she accepts Michael Bay's apology.
"Mr. Bay, thank you from the bottom of my heart for your apology and your quick response to this. I appreciate your willingness to admit that this was indeed a real plane crash, and that a mistake was made in choosing to use it."
Sarah Wolff, Wolff's daughter-in-law, also released a statement accepting Michael Bay's apology.
"That is all we were requesting. I appreciate his swift response and will hope that Paramount offers a similar apology."
The scene in question was released in the third trailer for Project Almanac, which you can see here. While the scene has been cut from the movie, the trailer is still widely available on the internet.