Joaquin Phoenix's Joker: Warner Bros Releases A Statement After Families Of Aurora Shootout Victims Raise Concern Over Depiction Of Violence

Joker starring Joaquin Phoenix is inching closer to its release. The film is a highly anticipated one thanks to its character of the Joker who technically is a villain but is hailed as the hero. Joker that also stars Robert De Niro is soon to make it to the theatres but before that happens; it has been embroiled in a controversy. The film is being bashed for the amount of violence it showcases, with families of Aurora shootout victims raising concern. However, the production house Warner Bros. has issued a statement and said that the film is not an endorsement of real-world violence of any kind.

Warner Bros' clarification came in after families of victims of 2012 mass shooting wrote a letter to the studio. It was during the screening of 'The Dark Knight Rises' in Aurora, Colorado, that mass shooting took place that killed many. Raising their concerns, the letter talks about the in-depth representation of a mass killer in the film Joker. But in their statement, Warner Bros. has mentioned that the studio holds the character up as a hero. The statement reads, “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.”

However, Warner Bros. in their statement has also said that it has the deepest sympathy for the victims and that one of their functions is to encourage conversations over complex issues.

Excerpt from their 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 bipartisan 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.”

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