It seems that the much-anticipated film 'Joker' which is set to release next week, is facing scrutiny regarding its villain. This resulted in Warner Bros. denying press interviews during the film premiere.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the flick which stars Joaquin Phoenix, who turned as the classic DC villain, is facing scrutiny for his character.
Five families of the victims of the 2012 Aurora, Colo., shooting at a screening of 'The Dark Knight Rises' released an open letter to the studio on Tuesday expressing their concerns and asking the studio to make a donation to victims' groups and to use its clout to push for stronger gun control laws. In the letter, the families shared worry the character of the Joker could inspire others to commit such atrocities.
Filmmaker Todd Phillips and the antagonist Phoenix have both said that promoting violence was never the intention behind making the film, which has earned critical acclaim ahead of its release. In response to the letter from the Aurora families, Warner Bros. said that "neither the fictional character Joker nor the film is an endorsement of real-world violence of any kind."
Apart from the law enforcement, Warner Bros will no longer be allowing press interviews during Saturday's Joker premiere. Though print and broadcast journalists had previously been invited to cover the red carpet, this time only photographers will be allowed at the TCL Chinese Theatre on Saturday.
"Our red carpet is comprised of photographers only," a Warner Bros. rep told The Hollywood Reporter in a statement. "A lot has been said about Joker, and we just feel it's time for people to see the film.