Households of Aurora taking pictures victims categorical considerations about Joker in letter to Warner Bros.

Joaquin Phoenix as Joker, photograph by way of Niko Tavernise/Warner Bros.

Joaquin Phoenix made headlines yesterday when he walked out of an interview following a query in regards to the graphic violence in Joker. Although the actor mentioned he was taken off guard by the question, the interviewer isn’t the one individual with considerations in regards to the R-rated movie’s impression. Households of victims within the 2012 Aurora taking pictures that occurred throughout a screening of The Darkish Knight Rises have signed a letter to Warner Bros. expressing their apprehensions in regards to the new film and asking that the studio donate to charities aiding victims of gun violence.

As The Hollywood Reporter has it, the households aren’t calling for any kind of boycott or searching for to disrupt launch of Todd Phillips’ movie. As an alternative, the letter lays out the true fears one other gritty movie centered on the Batman nemesis deliver to the floor. Seven years in the past, James Holmes walked into the Aurora Cinemark theater armed to the tooth and murdered 12 folks, injuring 70 extra, throughout a exhibiting of Christopher Nolan’s third Batman movie; those that survived and kin of the victims nonetheless reside with that trauma.

“I don’t must see an image of [Holmes]; I simply must see a Joker promo and I see an image of the killer,” Sandy Phillips, whose 24-year-old daughter, Jessica Ghawi, was amongst these killed, informed THR.

Phillips and her husband, Lonnie, labored with gun management advocate Igor Volsky of Weapons Down America to put in writing the letter. 5 different kin of victims signed their names earlier than it was despatched to WB.

Phillips, who alongside along with her husband created the nonprofit group Survivors Empowered, mentioned she feels Joker is “like a slap within the face.” “My fear is that one one who could also be on the market — and who is aware of if it is only one — who’s on the sting, who’s desirous to be a mass shooter, could also be inspired by this film,” she added. “And that terrifies me.”

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Even so, she and the opposite households aren’t asking WB to drag the movie. The letter reads partially, “We’re calling on you to be part of the rising refrain of company leaders who perceive that they’ve a social accountability to maintain us all protected.” It goes on to problem the studio to “use your political clout and leverage in Congress to actively foyer for gun reform” and “finish political contributions to candidates who take cash from the NRA and vote in opposition to gun reform.”

A spokesperson for Warner Bros. mentioned that they had but to truly obtain the letter, which was solely despatched on Tuesday morning. “We can not touch upon a letter we now have not seen,” mentioned the rep. Replace four:30 p.m. ET: Having now acquired the letter, Warner Bros. has issued a response assertion (by way of Selection). The studio emphasizes that the character of the Joker just isn’t meant to be held up “as a hero.” “Make no mistake: neither the fictional character Joker, nor the movie, is an endorsement of real-world violence of any form,” reads the assertion. WB provides that they’ve “a protracted historical past of donating to victims of violence, together with Aurora, and in current weeks, our guardian firm joined different enterprise leaders to name on policymakers to enact bi-partisan laws to deal with this epidemic.”

Right here’s the total assertion:

“Make no mistake: neither the fictional character Joker, nor the movie, is an endorsement of real-world violence of any form. It isn’t the intention of the movie, the filmmakers or the studio to carry this character up as a hero.

Gun violence in our society is a essential situation, and we prolong our deepest sympathy to all victims and households impacted by these tragedies. Our firm has a protracted historical past of donating to victims of violence, together with Aurora, and in current weeks, our guardian firm joined different enterprise leaders to name on policymakers to enact bi-partisan laws to deal with this epidemic. On the similar time, Warner Bros. believes that one of many capabilities of storytelling is to impress tough conversations round complicated points.”

Whereas worries about PTSD being triggered are actually authentic, not all these related to the Aurora taking pictures are involved a couple of repeat of 2012. “I don’t assume that seeing one thing is the catalyst to, ‘OK, that’s what I’m going to begin to do,’” mentioned Tom Sullivan, who misplaced his 27-year-old son Alex within the terror assault. He added that he’d assist WB placing “a blurb on the finish or starting of the film about directing folks to organizations for psychological well being.”

“I do need to see it,” Sullivan famous. “I believe it seems to be attention-grabbing. I don’t know that I’ll see it within the theater, however I’ll undoubtedly see the movie.”

He actually received’t be seeing it at Century Aurora and XD, the reworked theater the place the bloodbath occurred. The multiplex seems to not be exhibiting Joker, as there aren’t any showtimes listed on its web site and no advance tickets obtainable for buy.

Holmes was convicted on 24 counts of first-degree homicide and is serving life in jail with out the potential of parole.

Joker opens on October 4th. Learn the total letter under.

Expensive Ann Sarnoff,

We’re the relations and mates of the 12 folks killed on the Century 16 movie show in Aurora, Colorado at a screening of The Darkish Knight Rises on July 20, 2012. This tragic occasion, perpetrated by a socially remoted particular person who felt “wronged” by society has modified the course of our lives.

Consequently, we now have dedicated ourselves to making sure that no different household ever has to undergo absolutely the hell we now have skilled and the ache we proceed to reside with. Belief us, it doesn’t go away.

After we discovered that Warner Bros. was releasing a film referred to as “Joker” that presents the character as a protagonist with a sympathetic origin story, it gave us pause.

We need to be clear that we assist your proper to free speech and free expression. However as anybody who has ever seen a comic book e book film can let you know: with nice energy comes nice accountability. That’s why we’re calling on you to make use of your huge platform and affect to hitch us in our combat to construct safer communities with fewer weapons.

During the last a number of weeks, giant American employers from Walmart to CVS have introduced that they’re going to lean into gun security. We’re calling on you to be part of the rising refrain of company leaders who perceive that they’ve a social accountability to maintain us all protected.

Particularly, we’re asking you to do the next:
● Finish political contributions to candidates who take cash from the NRA and vote in opposition to gun
reform. These lawmakers are actually placing your prospects and staff in peril.
● Use your political clout and leverage in Congress to actively foyer for gun reform. Preserving
everybody protected must be a high company precedence for Warner Brothers.
● Assist fund survivor funds and gun violence intervention applications to assist survivors of gun violence
and to cut back every-day gun violence within the communities you serve.

For the reason that federal authorities has didn’t go reforms that increase the usual for gun possession in America, giant corporations like Warner Brothers have a accountability to behave. We actually hope that you simply do.

Sincerely,
Sandy Phillips
Lonnie Phillips
Tiina Coon
Theresa Hoover
Heather Dearman