As the release of Todd Phillips’ Joker looms near, so has the fear of violent tragedy repeating itself. Earlier this week, five families affected by the 2012 Aurora, Colorado movie theater shooting penned their concerns to Warner Bros. In the Tuesday letter, they asked the movie studio to cease all donations made to groups in affiliation to the National Rifle Association and to support groups aiding victims of gun violence.
Warner Bros. did respond with the clarification that Joaquin Phoenix’s take on the Clown Prince of Crime is not an “endorsement of real-world violence of any kind”. The studio also shared it has contacted policymakers to enact bi-partisan legislation to address the gun violence epidemic in the U.S. Now, Parents to Aurora victim Jessica Phillips, Sandy and Lonnie say it’s not enough. Check out how the couple responded to Warner Bros:
Sandy and Lonnie Phillips are now calling for Warner Bros’ parent company AT&T to announce a complete abandonment of funding to anyone involved against reforming gun legislation. The couple signed the letter alongside gun control advocate Igor Volsky of Guns Down America on Thursday, per THR. Warner Bros has not yet responded to their plea.
Director Todd Phillips also shared a statement explaining the intention of his film and calling for Warner Bros to move their contributions to gun reform. In his words:
Joaquin Phoenix also talked about the issue. In reference to the film’s message, he said he doesn’t think it’s the responsibility of filmmakers to teach audiences morality or the difference between right and wrong. Phoenix also shared the importance to discuss the issues now surrounding the controversy of the movie. The actor has been heavily praised for his leading performance as the iconic DC villain in the character study.