'Joker' Movie: Families Of Aurora Shooting Victims Express Concern About Upcoming Film

Families of the Aurora shooting victims have expressed concerns about the upcoming “Joker” film in a letter to Warner Bros.

The open letter was sent to the movie studio and several news outlets Tuesday morning as “Joker," a psychological thriller about a diabolical villain, is set to hit theaters in October.

The letter asks studio executives to join with companies like Walmart and CVS which have been taking a more proactive approach in promoting gun safety in the wake of a 2019 summer marred with multiple mass shootings. They are also asking WB to stop contributing to political campaigns that have taken money from the National Rifle Association.

The families are not calling for a boycott of the film. It is signed by several family members of victims of a mass shooting at Aurora, Colorado, movie theater showing "The Dark Knight Rises," in 2012. Twelve people were killing and 70 others were injured in the shooting. The film featured the Joker and the gunman had dyed his hair like the well-known villain and claimed he "was the Joker."

“We’re calling on you to use your massive platform and influence to join us in our fight to build safer communities with fewer guns,” the letter reads, according to Variety. “We are calling on you to be a part of the growing chorus of corporate leaders who understand that they have a social responsibility to keep us all safe.”

The letter also comes on the heels of “Joker” winning the Venice Film Festival’s top prize, the Golden Lion. It has received overwhelmingly positive reviews coming out of the festival, with much of the praise given to Joaquin Phoenix’s performance as the titular character.

However, some have voiced concerns over the violence depicted in it by a character that is mentally disturbed. Phoenix recently walked out of an interview with The Telegraph when asked if the film could inspire similar acts of violence in real life.

“Joker” will be released in theaters on Oct. 4.