Universal Pictures on Friday yanked from theaters a promotional trailer for new movie The Dilemma after complaints about actor Vince Vaughn's character calling electric cars "gay", which some viewed as a slur.

In a statement, the Hollywood studio said the trailer "was not intended to cause anyone discomfort" and a new version will be posted online on Friday.

Star of The Dilemma, US actor Vince Vaughn. Credit:Reuters

Complaints about the promotional movie footage, which is played before a feature film begins in theaters, follow recent weeks of news about people being bullied, in some cases leading to horrific consequences. In US pop culture, men and women sometimes use the phrase "that is so gay" in a disparaging way to tease or joke about others.

"The use of the word 'gay' in this trailer as a slur is unnecessary and does nothing more than send a message of intolerance about our community to viewers, Jarrett Barrios, president of the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, said in a statement.