The family of a victim in the Aurora, Colorado mass shooting during a screening of The Dark Knight Rises are outraged over Joker director Todd Phillip’s “flippant” remarks about their concerns.
Since opening, Joker has gone on to gross over $1 billion, and has landed its star Joaquin Phoenix at the front of the Oscar race for Best Actor. But the dark thriller has also stirred controversy for its violent storyline and centering on a villain.
When Phillips addressed the backlash on a recent episode of NPR’s “Fresh Air” podcast with Terry Gross, the director said people just like to be outraged.
Since opening, Joker has gone on to gross over $1 billion, and has landed its star Joaquin Phoenix at the front of the Oscar race for Best Actor. But the dark thriller has also stirred controversy for its violent storyline and centering on a villain.
When Phillips addressed the backlash on a recent episode of NPR’s “Fresh Air” podcast with Terry Gross, the director said people just like to be outraged.
- 1/10/2020
- by Ale Russian
- PEOPLE.com
The fomenting discussion around the depiction of gun violence in “Joker” and whether the revisionist DC origin story celebrates it or not isn’t going away anytime soon. Especially as we inch closer and closer to the Academy Awards nominations announcement, bright and early this coming Monday, January 13.
Following in the footsteps of the surviving families who spoke out last year when the film was released theatrically, parents of a victim of the 2012 Aurora shooting — where 12 lives were lost at a Colorado movie theater screening “The Dark Knight Rises” — have spoken out against “Joker” director Todd Phillips and distributor Warner Bros. in an open letter published Tuesday (shared by Yahoo!), Sandy and Lonnie Phillips expressed concern over Todd Phillips’ (no relation) “flippant” remarks regarding his film’s portrayal of violence as he recently told Terry Gross on NPR’s “Fresh Air.” The full letter, which arrived via Twitter, is embedded below.
Following in the footsteps of the surviving families who spoke out last year when the film was released theatrically, parents of a victim of the 2012 Aurora shooting — where 12 lives were lost at a Colorado movie theater screening “The Dark Knight Rises” — have spoken out against “Joker” director Todd Phillips and distributor Warner Bros. in an open letter published Tuesday (shared by Yahoo!), Sandy and Lonnie Phillips expressed concern over Todd Phillips’ (no relation) “flippant” remarks regarding his film’s portrayal of violence as he recently told Terry Gross on NPR’s “Fresh Air.” The full letter, which arrived via Twitter, is embedded below.
- 1/9/2020
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
The Los Angeles Police Department (Lapd) has decided to increase its visibility at cinema halls when the much-anticipated film "Joker" releases next week.
The decision comes amid heightened law enforcement concern about the violent film, with people wondering if it will incite violence in the society.
The department said it has not received any specific threats about the movie, but encouraged moviegoers to be vigilant, reports variety.com.
"The Los Angeles Police Department is aware of public concerns and the historical significance associated with the premiere of 'Joker'. While there are no credible threats in the Los Angeles area, the department will maintain high visibility around theaters when it opens," said department spokesman Josh Rubenstein.
In 2012, a shooter killed 12 people and injured 70 others at a midnight screening of "The Dark Knight Rises" in Aurora, Colorado.
In fact, families of some of the victims have raised concerns about "Joker", in which...
The decision comes amid heightened law enforcement concern about the violent film, with people wondering if it will incite violence in the society.
The department said it has not received any specific threats about the movie, but encouraged moviegoers to be vigilant, reports variety.com.
"The Los Angeles Police Department is aware of public concerns and the historical significance associated with the premiere of 'Joker'. While there are no credible threats in the Los Angeles area, the department will maintain high visibility around theaters when it opens," said department spokesman Josh Rubenstein.
In 2012, a shooter killed 12 people and injured 70 others at a midnight screening of "The Dark Knight Rises" in Aurora, Colorado.
In fact, families of some of the victims have raised concerns about "Joker", in which...
- 9/27/2019
- GlamSham
The Lapd plans to increase its visibility at theaters when “Joker” opens next week, amid heightened law enforcement concern about the violent Warner Bros. film.
The department said it has not received any specific threats about the movie, but encouraged moviegoers to be vigilant.
“The Los Angeles Police Department is aware of public concerns and the historical significance associated with the premiere of ‘Joker,'” said department spokesman Josh Rubenstein. “While there are no credible threats in the Los Angeles area, the department will maintain high visibility around theaters when it opens.”
In 2012, a shooter killed 12 people and injured 70 others at a midnight screening of “The Dark Knight Rises” in Aurora, Colo. Families of some of the victims have raised concerns about “Joker,” in which Joaquin Phoenix plays the character as a depressed loner whose failures as a standup comic provoke a violent rampage.
Some critics have raised concerns about...
The department said it has not received any specific threats about the movie, but encouraged moviegoers to be vigilant.
“The Los Angeles Police Department is aware of public concerns and the historical significance associated with the premiere of ‘Joker,'” said department spokesman Josh Rubenstein. “While there are no credible threats in the Los Angeles area, the department will maintain high visibility around theaters when it opens.”
In 2012, a shooter killed 12 people and injured 70 others at a midnight screening of “The Dark Knight Rises” in Aurora, Colo. Families of some of the victims have raised concerns about “Joker,” in which Joaquin Phoenix plays the character as a depressed loner whose failures as a standup comic provoke a violent rampage.
Some critics have raised concerns about...
- 9/27/2019
- by Gene Maddaus and Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
Sandy and Lonnie Phillips, whose daughter Jessica was killed in the 2012 Aurora, Colorado, theater shooting, are renewing their call to ask Warner Bros. to devote more resources to combating gun violence ahead of the studio's dark antihero film Joker, which is set to open Oct. 4.
On Thursday, the couple in a signed statement (crafted with gun control advocate Igor Volsky of Guns Down America) asked the studio to "put their money where their mouth is," days after family members of Aurora victims expressed their concern about the gun violence in Todd Phillips' R-rated film starring Joaquin ...
On Thursday, the couple in a signed statement (crafted with gun control advocate Igor Volsky of Guns Down America) asked the studio to "put their money where their mouth is," days after family members of Aurora victims expressed their concern about the gun violence in Todd Phillips' R-rated film starring Joaquin ...
- 9/26/2019
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Sandy and Lonnie Phillips, whose daughter Jessica was killed in the 2012 Aurora, Colorado, theater shooting, are renewing their call to ask Warner Bros. to devote more resources to combating gun violence ahead of the studio's dark antihero film Joker, which is set to open Oct. 4.
On Thursday, the couple in a signed statement (crafted with gun control advocate Igor Volsky of Guns Down America) asked the studio to "put their money where their mouth is," days after family members of Aurora victims expressed their concern about the gun violence in Todd Phillips' R-rated film starring Joaquin ...
On Thursday, the couple in a signed statement (crafted with gun control advocate Igor Volsky of Guns Down America) asked the studio to "put their money where their mouth is," days after family members of Aurora victims expressed their concern about the gun violence in Todd Phillips' R-rated film starring Joaquin ...
- 9/26/2019
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Warner Bros. has weighed in on the mounting controversy surrounding “Joker,” an R-rated comic book adaptation that is being criticized for offering an in-depth portrait of a mass killer. In a statement on Tuesday, the studio hit back at suggestions that it is glamorizing a mass murderer.
“Make no mistake: neither the fictional character Joker, nor the film, is an endorsement of real-world violence of any kind,” the statement reads. “It is not the intention of the film, the filmmakers or the studio to hold this character up as a hero.”
Warner Bros. broke its silence after family members and friends of the victims of a 2012 mass shooting at a screening of “The Dark Knight Rises” in Aurora, Colo., wrote a letter to the studio expressing concerns about the film’s upcoming release. The letter supported the studio’s right to make the film and endorsed freedom of speech and artistic expression.
“Make no mistake: neither the fictional character Joker, nor the film, is an endorsement of real-world violence of any kind,” the statement reads. “It is not the intention of the film, the filmmakers or the studio to hold this character up as a hero.”
Warner Bros. broke its silence after family members and friends of the victims of a 2012 mass shooting at a screening of “The Dark Knight Rises” in Aurora, Colo., wrote a letter to the studio expressing concerns about the film’s upcoming release. The letter supported the studio’s right to make the film and endorsed freedom of speech and artistic expression.
- 9/24/2019
- by Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
Warner Bros. has responded to the note this morning from five of the 300-plus Aurora, Colorado victim base expressing concerns over the release of the movie Joker on Oct. 4.
Says a Warner Bros. rep: “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...
Says a Warner Bros. rep: “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...
- 9/24/2019
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
David Crow Sep 24, 2019
Joker will not screen in the Aurora movie theater that was targeted by a shooter during the opening weekend of The Dark Knight Rises.
Warner Bros. and Cinemark have agreed not to screen Joker at an Aurora movie theater that was the site of a national tragedy in 2012. The news came from a joint announcement which confirmed that the upcoming Joaquin Phoenix-led film will not play at a theater now named the Cinemark Aurora (it was called the Cinemark 16 in 2012), which was where The Dark Knight Rises mass shooting occurred in 2012.
That shooting, which was targeted for its popular midnight screening of the latest Batman movie, left 12 people dead and another 70 wounded. The news comes after multiple families of Aurora victims released an open letter to Ann Sarnoff, WB CEO and chairperson, as well as several Hollywood trades that requested WB use their platform as a...
Joker will not screen in the Aurora movie theater that was targeted by a shooter during the opening weekend of The Dark Knight Rises.
Warner Bros. and Cinemark have agreed not to screen Joker at an Aurora movie theater that was the site of a national tragedy in 2012. The news came from a joint announcement which confirmed that the upcoming Joaquin Phoenix-led film will not play at a theater now named the Cinemark Aurora (it was called the Cinemark 16 in 2012), which was where The Dark Knight Rises mass shooting occurred in 2012.
That shooting, which was targeted for its popular midnight screening of the latest Batman movie, left 12 people dead and another 70 wounded. The news comes after multiple families of Aurora victims released an open letter to Ann Sarnoff, WB CEO and chairperson, as well as several Hollywood trades that requested WB use their platform as a...
- 9/24/2019
- Den of Geek
Warner Bros.’ The Joker will not be playing at the Cinemark Aurora theater where the 2012 Dark Knight Rises mass shooting took place, killing 12 and wounding 70.
We understand that this is a decision that was mutually made by both the studio and Cinemark which owned the Century 16, now known as the Century Aurora and Xd.
The Joker in its story of a disturbed man who gets possession of a gun and uses it has some awful echoes for five people of the 300-plus Aurora, Colorado victim base, especially in the wake of several mass shootings this summer in Gilroy, CA; El Paso, Texas and Dayton, Ohio. The Joker won high praise coming out of its fall film festival run, winning the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival, along with awards buzz for Joaquin Phoenix’s turn as the Batman villain. On tracking, Joker could potentially open to a domestic October box office record of $80M-plus.
We understand that this is a decision that was mutually made by both the studio and Cinemark which owned the Century 16, now known as the Century Aurora and Xd.
The Joker in its story of a disturbed man who gets possession of a gun and uses it has some awful echoes for five people of the 300-plus Aurora, Colorado victim base, especially in the wake of several mass shootings this summer in Gilroy, CA; El Paso, Texas and Dayton, Ohio. The Joker won high praise coming out of its fall film festival run, winning the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival, along with awards buzz for Joaquin Phoenix’s turn as the Batman villain. On tracking, Joker could potentially open to a domestic October box office record of $80M-plus.
- 9/24/2019
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Family members of the 2012 Aurora mass shooting victims have sent a letter to Warner Bros. expressing concern over the upcoming release of the studio’s comic book movie “Joker.” The letter was sent to Warner Bros. new CEO Ann Sarnoff and urges the Hollywood studio to advocate for gun safety in the midst of the promotional rollout for “Joker.” The families are not calling for a “Joker” boycott or ban and instead want Warner Bros. to come forward publicly advocating for gun safety laws.
“When we learned that Warner Bros. was releasing a movie called ‘Joker’ that presents the character as a protagonist with a sympathetic origin story, it gave us pause,” the letter reads (via Variety). “We want to be clear that we support your right to free speech and free expression. But as anyone who has ever seen a comic book movie can tell you: with great power comes great responsibility.
“When we learned that Warner Bros. was releasing a movie called ‘Joker’ that presents the character as a protagonist with a sympathetic origin story, it gave us pause,” the letter reads (via Variety). “We want to be clear that we support your right to free speech and free expression. But as anyone who has ever seen a comic book movie can tell you: with great power comes great responsibility.
- 9/24/2019
- by Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
Family members and friends of the victims of a 2012 mass shooting at a screening of “The Dark Knight Rises” in Aurora, Colo., are expressing concerns about the upcoming release of “Joker,” a comic book adaptation that’s provoked controversy for its violent subject matter.
In a letter to Warner Bros. CEO Ann Sarnoff, the families and friends urge the company to join the likes of Walmart and Cvs in advocating for gun safety.
“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,” reads the letter, which was obtained by Variety.
“We are calling on you to be a part of the growing chorus of corporate leaders who understand that they have a social responsibility to keep us all safe,” it continues.
The letter was signed by Sandy and Lonnie Phillips, a couple whose 24-year-old daughter,...
In a letter to Warner Bros. CEO Ann Sarnoff, the families and friends urge the company to join the likes of Walmart and Cvs in advocating for gun safety.
“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,” reads the letter, which was obtained by Variety.
“We are calling on you to be a part of the growing chorus of corporate leaders who understand that they have a social responsibility to keep us all safe,” it continues.
The letter was signed by Sandy and Lonnie Phillips, a couple whose 24-year-old daughter,...
- 9/24/2019
- by Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
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