World Trade Center Opening to Benefit 9/11 Charities

Oliver Stone's controversial film about the 9/11 terrorist attacks, World Trade Center, is to donate 10% of its opening weekend proceeds in the US to charities for victims of the disaster.

Stone's tale centres on two Port Authority of New York police officers, John McLoughlin and William Jimeno, played by Nicolas Cage and Crash's Michael Pena, who became trapped under the rubble of the twin towers. It has drawn criticism from some families of the victims of the attacks, who have accused those behind the film of cashing in on events.

Half the donation from the film will go to the World Trade Center Memorial Foundation, which is building a $500m (£270m) memorial on the site. Its acting president, Joseph Daniels, said: "It's our sacred obligation to remember the innocent victims and honour the sacrifice of the many brave individuals who gave their lives in the September 11 attacks... This contribution will help ensure that the memory of those heroes lives on through the World Trade Center Memorial."

The other half of the donation of proceeds between August 9 and 11 will be split between three charities. They are Tuesday's Children, which helps children who lost a parent; the Tribute WTC Visitor Center, which opens this summer; and the New York Police and Fire Widows' and Children's Benefit Fund.

Stone has steered clear of using footage of the planes crashing into the twin towers in his film. He has promised sensitivity and a true representation of the ordeal suffered by McLoughlin and Jimeno, who were in a group of five officers who entered the South Tower shortly before it collapsed and were trapped for 22 hours. Their other colleagues died.

However the director has already failed to steer clear of controversy in the way which British director Paul Greengrass managed to do with his film United 93, which was shot in documentary style using largely unknown actors.