Warner Bros responses to a letter calling for it to be “part of the growing chorus of corporate leaders who understand that they have a social responsibility to keep us all safe”.
In just under two weeks, Warner Bros releases the already-acclaimed Joker into cinemas worldwide. The film stars Joaquin Phoenix in the title role, and has been directed by Todd Phillips.
The movie has already hit something of a backlash though. You may recall that when 2012’s The Dark Knight Rises was released, a mass shooting took place during a screening of the film in Aurora, Colorado, over in the US. 12 people were killed and 70 injured when a man entered a midnight screening of the aforementioned film with multiple firearms.
The families of some of the victims have voiced concerns over the movie, and whilst they’ve not called for a ban on it, a letter sent to Warner Bros says that “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”. You can read more on the letter here.
Warner Bros has issued a statement in response to it. The statement reads…
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.
The release of the film is unaffected.
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