Sony's Spider-Man is set for a May 2002 release

The pop world has also been affected, with hip hop band The Coup withdrawing its latest album cover, which portrays the twin towers of the World Trade Center being blown up.

And the Toronto International Film Festival, traditionally known for star-studded parties, has cancelled all of its social events including its closing party.

Skyscraper

Hollywood's biggest film casualty is the latest Arnold Schwarzenegger vehicle Collateral Damage, which Warner Bros had originally set for release on 5 October.

The opening of the film, in which a terrorist bombs a Los Angeles skyscraper, has now been indefinitely postponed.

We're looking at programming that is more family-oriented

Scott Grogin, Fox TV

And the opening of Disney comedy Big Trouble has also been postponed, as it hinges on a scene with a bomb in a suitcase on an aeroplane.

Both Warner Bros and Disney Touchstone said that the decisions were taken out of respect for victims of the attacks.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with those affected by this terrible tragedy," said Disney Touchstone spokeswoman Vivian Boyer.

Film trailers for next May's release Spider-Man - in which bank robbers are caught in a web spun between the World Trade Center towers - have been pulled from film theatres by Sony Pictures Entertainment.

New programmes

Sony also recalled the film's posters, which show the twin towers reflecting in the comic book hero's eyes.

TV network NBC has taken the step of pushing back its new programme season by one week.

A heavily-advertised week of new shows scheduled to start on 17 September will now begin on 24 September.

In a statement, the network said: "In light of the recent tragic events in our country, NBC has decided to postpone the premi�res of the network's fall prime-time programmes."

But the network added: "Further developments could alter this plan."

Disaster movie

The ABC and CBS networks were also reconsidering some premi�res of returning series and new shows next week, due to the heavy demand for news.

Jagger: Due in Toronto to promote two films

Films withdrawn by the TV networks include the 1996 disaster movie Independence Day, and 1997's The Peacemaker - which involves nuclear terrorism.

Fox TV has also withdrawn Friday's full-length X-Files movie which includes a scene of an office building blowing up.

Fox spokesman Scott Grogin said: "We're looking at programming that is more family-oriented, so people can watch it together."

Explosions

An album cover for the forthcoming release by hip-hop band The Coup was immediately withdrawn from the group's website on Tuesday.

The cover design showed explosions at the World Trade Center.

"We changed the artwork as soon as we saw what had happened," said Daria Kelly, director of sales for 75 Ark, the band's record label.

Ms Kelly said the artwork had been prepared about two months ago and the album was due to go on sale on 6 November.

"We were going to print them this week - thank goodness we hadn't yet printed them," she said.

Another pop release, by rock band Dream Theater, may be withdrawn because of similar cover art.

'Eerie co-incidence'

The cover of Live Scenes From NY - released on Tuesday - depicts the World Trade Center towers in flames.

Gihan Salem, a spokeswoman for the group's label EastWest records called it "an unfortunate coincidence, an eerie coincidence" and said that a decision on whether to recall the album would be made shortly.

All social events - including the closing party - have been cancelled at the Toronto International Film Festival, which has also been affected by the ban on flights to and from the US.

Mick Jagger, who was due at the festival to promote two films at the 10-day festival, was supposed to fly into Toronto from London via New York on Tuesday night, said festival organizers.

The Rolling Stone intended to promote two films, The Man from Elysian Fields in which he plays an "erudite gentleman" and the wartime thriller Enigma, which he co-produced.