Warner Bros. restricts reporters from red-carpet premiere of Joker

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

There has been plenty of controversy surrounding the release of Todd Phillips' JOKER in recent days, with family members of those killed during the Aurora, Colorado shooting in 2012 during a screening of THE DARK KNIGHT RISES voicing their concerns in an open letter. "[The Aurora shooting], perpetrated by a socially isolated individual who felt 'wronged' by society, has changed the course of our lives," the letter stated. "When we learned that Warner Bros. was releasing a movie called Joker that presents the character as a protagonist with a sympathetic origin story, it gave us pause." For their part, Warner Bros. responded with their own statement:

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.

With the red-carpet premiere of JOKER set to take place tomorrow at the TCL Chinese Theater, Warner Bros. has announced that they will be restricting access for print and broadcast journalists. "Our red carpet is comprised of photographers only," a studio spokesperson told Variety, "a lot has been said about ‘Joker,’ and we just feel it’s time for people to see the film." Those members of the press who have been invited to the premiere will still be attending, but only photographers will be allowed to access the actors and filmmakers on the red-carpet. Certain theaters are taking their own security precautions regarding the release of JOKER, and although the Los Angeles Police Department will be increasing its visibility, they have not received any specific threats regarding the film. "The Los Angeles Police Department is aware of public concerns and the historical significance associated with the premiere of 'Joker,'" said department spokesman Josh Rubenstein. "While there are no credible threats in the Los Angeles area, the department will maintain high visibility around theaters when it opens."

Both director Todd Phillips and star Joaquin Phoenix have addressed the controversy with speaking with IGN, with Phoenix saying, "I think that, for most of us, you’re able to tell the difference between right and wrong. And those that aren’t are capable of interpreting anything in the way that they may want to. People misinterpret lyrics from songs. They misinterpret passages from books. So I don’t think it’s the responsibility of a filmmaker to teach the audience morality or the difference between right or wrong. I mean, to me, I think that that’s obvious… I think if you have somebody that has that level of emotional disturbance, they can find fuel anywhere. I just don't think that you can function that way." Phillips added, "To me, art can be complicated and oftentimes art is meant to be complicated. If you want uncomplicated art, you might want to take up calligraphy, but filmmaking will always be a complicated art."

JOKER is set to hit theaters on October 4, 2019.