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The Colorado family hopes the studio will not donate to "candidates and lawmakers who oppose gun reform" while Warner Bros. said earlier this week: "Our society has long donated to victims of violence, including Aurora."
Sandy and Lonnie Phillips, whose daughter Jessica was killed in the Aurora (Colorado) theater shooting in 2012, reiterate their call to ask Warner Bros. to devote more resources to the fight against armed violence before the studio's dark anti-hero film. Joker, which will open on October 4th.
On Thursday, the couple in a signed statement (drafted with gun control lawyer Igor Volsky of Guns Down America) asked the studio to "put their money in the spot" a few days after members of the family of Aurora victims worried about gun violence. in R-rated film by Todd Phillips with Joaquin Phoenix.
The joint letter sent by the five Aurora families to Warner Bros.'s new executive director, Ann Sarnoff, said: "We call you to be part of the growing group of business leaders who understand that they have a social responsibility to keep us all safe. "This letter asked the AT & T parent company to stop donating money to politicians who receive money from the National Rifle Association and Warners to donate to support groups for victims of armed violence.
In response, Warner Bros. stated that he took the situation seriously and sympathized with the parents. "Armed violence in our society is a critical issue and we express our deepest sympathy to all the victims and families affected by these tragedies," the studio said on Tuesday. "Our society has a long history of donating to victims of violence, particularly in Aurora.In recent weeks, our parent company has partnered with other business leaders to ask policy makers to adopt bipartite legislation to combat this epidemic. " In 2012, Warner Bros. donated $ 1 million or more to charities defending victims of the Aurora shootings.
On Thursday, Sandy and Lonnie Phillips stated that they were "satisfied" with Warner Bros. "message, they again asked the studio to use its influence on gun violence and gun control.
In his statement, Warner Bros. emphasized his past support for survivors of gun violence and his rhetorical public appeal to congressional lawmakers for them to enact tougher gun reform laws, "he said. Thursday the couple. "Let's be clear: asking for change is a good start, but it's far from enough. Warner Bros. and its parent company must put their money where it is and announce that it will no longer make political donations to candidates and legislators who oppose firearms reform. "
Warner Bros. did not immediately respond to the request for comment on Thursday.
The letter from Aurora survivors to the studio sparked a deeper conversation about Joker& # 39; s exploration of the evil villain of DC Comics and its realistic gunshot violence, described in brutal and shocking scenes, and fearing that it may inspire real violence.
Joker Phoenix star and director Phillips said it was never the subject of their complex study of the character. "The film makes statements about lack of love, childhood trauma, lack of compassion in the world.I think people can handle this message," Phillips told IGN in a statement. interview.
Phillips' statement added: "In the United States, individuals who are motivated to commit mass murder can easily obtain weapons of war to carry out their murderous acts, which is why we call Warner Bros. use its power, and a platform to work with us to make firearms much harder to obtain. "
The couple's statement also mentions a threat of violence at some point. Joker screening, which was cited as a concern in a memo of the army. On Monday, a memo was issued to soldiers and their families in Oklahoma about what army officials perceived as a credible mass-fire threat aimed at "an unknown movie theater" on the 4th. October at a projection of Joker, The spokesman for the Criminal Investigation Branch of the Army, Chris Gray, confirmed The Hollywood journalist. The memo was not to be made public, he added.
On Thursday, the FBI was unaware of any real and credible threat regarding Joker.
"While our usual practice is not to comment on specific intelligence products, the FBI is in contact with our law enforcement and private sector partners about online publications." As always, we "We encourage the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity to the law without delay." FBI spokeswoman Ann Parrillo said in a statement.
To date, the FBI or other government agencies have not notified the National Theater Owners Association of any credible threat to Joker, according to sources close to the trade organization. NATO, which regularly communicates with the FBI, declined to comment.
Regal Cinemas released Thursday this statement: "At Regal, we do not believe that the content or the existence of a movie is a cause or signal of violence. Nevertheless, although we never begin the security protocols implemented by our rooms, the safety of customers and employees is our main concern. In cooperation with NATO, we are in regular contact with law enforcement throughout the year. We therefore have information to perform the security assessments that they deem appropriate at all times. "
Pamela McClintock contributed to additional reporting.
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