Aurora, Colorado Theater Where DARK KNIGHT RISES Shooting Occurred Will Not Screen JOKER and WB Responds

During a midnight screening on the opening night of the 2012 Batman film The Dark Knight Rises, a man walked into a theater, set off tear gas grenades, and opened fire on the audience. Twelve people were murdered, and seventy were injured by gunfire and other injuries. This was the largest mass shooting in modern U.S. history at the time, but has unfortunately since been outdone. This was a devastating event to the moviegoers and their loved ones, and was felt across America. And is felt every time there’s a new shooting.

So it’s no surprise that the theater that was under attack is feeling trepidation about screening Joker, which is not only another dark superhero themed movie, but it also deals with a man who has mental health issues and becomes violent. Although the film has garnered major accolades from the festivals it has premiered at so far, the subject matter hits close to home for the Colorado community, and the theater will not be screening the film.

Deadline reports that five family members of the victims of the Aurora shooting wrote a letter to the CEO of Warner Bros. and stated that “they were given pause ‘when we learned that Warner Bros. was releasing a movie called Joker that presents the character as a protagonist with a sympathetic origin story.’” But rather than asking the studio not to screen the film, the families pleaded for help with a bigger cause, saying, “we’re calling on you to use your massive platform and influence to join us in our fight to build safer communities with fewer guns.” They then took their plea to Warner Bros. one step further, saying:

“End political contributions to candidates who take money from the NRA and vote against gun reform. These lawmakers are literally putting your customers and employees in danger. Use your political clout and leverage in Congress to actively lobby for gun reform. Keeping everyone safe should be a top corporate priority for Warner Brothers. Help fund survivor funds and gun violence intervention programs to help survivors of gun violence and to reduce every-day gun violence in the communities you serve. Since the federal government has failed to pass reforms that raise the standard for gun ownership in America, large companies like Warner Brothers have a responsibility to act. We certainly hope that you do.”

Warner Bros. offered their condolences at the time of the shooting, and donated $2 million to the victims and families. After the company received the letter, a representative from Warner Bros. released the following statement:

“Gun violence in our society is a critical issue, and we extend our deepest sympathy to all victims and families impacted by these tragedies. Our company has a long history of donating to victims of violence, including Aurora, and in recent weeks, our parent company joined other business leaders to call on policymakers to enact bi-partisan legislation to address this epidemic. At the same time, Warner Bros. believes that one of the functions of storytelling is to provoke difficult conversations around complex issues. Make no mistake: neither the fictional character Joker, nor the film, is an endorsement of real-world violence of any kind. It is not the intention of the film, the filmmakers or the studio to hold this character up as a hero.”

I think this is a pretty good response under the circumstances. It’s a tough situation. And while I can see how the families would identify the character as being portrayed sympathetically, it really is a more truthful origin story, and many people who do bad things are products of a very hard life. Hopefully this will keep the conversation going, and things will continue to progress toward a resolution that makes people feel safe and heard going forward.