‘Joker’ Won’t Play Movie Theater Where Aurora Mass Shooting Took Place
Advance tickets for Todd Phillips’ Joker went on sale this week at theaters around the country. But at least one theater will not be showing the movie — the Century Aurora and XD theater in Aurora, Colorado. In 2012, the multiplex was known as the Century 16, and was the site of a mass shooting at a midnight screening of The Dark Knight Rises, where James Holmes killed 12 people and injured dozens more. Initial press reports, later proven to be false, claimed Holmes had referred to himself as “the Joker,” and that, coupled with the brightly colored hair he wore at the time of the killings, have connected his crimes and the character.
Multiple media reports including TMZ claim the theater is not going to screen Joker, although there is no official announcement at this time and the theater has not given the reason behind the decision:
The theater reportedly will not be showing "Joker" -- there are currently no showtimes listed and a theater employee tells The Hollywood Reporter no advance ticket purchases are available because the multiplex won't be showing the film. It's unclear if this is out of respect, or fear of a copycat incident.
While some Aurora victims’ families have come out against Joker, prompting Warner Bros. to release a statement in support of the film and insisting it does not endorse “real-world violence” and does not depict the Joker, played by Joaquin Phoenix, as a hero, the father of another Aurora victim interviewed by TMZ disagrees with the letter. Mike Senecal says he plans to see the movie, and adds that “violent people exist regardless of whether Joker comes out.” Clearly, these are very complicated issues.
Joker opens in theaters around the country on October 4.
Gallery — The History of Batman Onscreen: