Paramount has cancelled its Mexican release of Star Trek, which was set for May 8, because of the swine flu epidemic.

The move comes in the wake of Fox’s decision to cancel the premiere and the release of X-Men Origins: Wolverine in Mexico.

A spokesperson for Paramount said: “We haven’t officially dated the film. We want to see how things go with containing the swine flu.”

Star Trek is due to open in most major territories on May 8. When asked about the possibility of delayed releases in other territories affected by swine flu, the spokesperson said: “Mexico is the only one affected at this stage. We’re not anticipating any changes.”

The swine flu outbreak, which has already claimed more than 150 lives in Mexico, has forced the country’s leading cinema chains Cinepolis and Cimemex to shut down dozens of cinemas throughout Mexico City and the surrounding area.

Wolverine will open in most other territories in the world this weekend. Fox is expected to set a new release date when the extent of the outbreak is known.

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