The next iteration of the Joker is hitting the theatres and it seems that the screenings of the controversial movie aren’t going unnoticed by law enforcement.
Joker, which sees its worldwide release on October 4, has already caused concern not only for its apparently ‘disturbing’ content, but also because of the potential risk carried with the screenings following the 2012 mass shooting during the Dark Knight Rises.
According to a report from Deadline, the New York City Police Department will be present both in and out of uniform at select screenings of Joker to ensure the public’s safety.
It’s believed that the police presence will only be during the opening weekend of the DC movie. The publication also reports that undercover tactics will be employed for other screenings of Joker in Manhattan, the Bronx, Queens, Brooklyn, and Staten Island.
A US Army base in Oklahoma has also reportedly issued a warning to military commanders over the potential threat of violence during screenings of the film.
According to American military newspaper, Stars and Stripes, a photo of the memo was shared to a popular military Facebook page before being removed. The command, which is also known as CID, confirmed its authenticity to the site.
“Out of an abundance of caution, our Fort Sill office distributed the memo to internal military personnel at Fort Sill,” said CID spokesman Christopher Grey.
The memo was based on information in a bulletin from the Texas Joint Crime Information Center, Grey said.
Families of the victims who died in a 2012, after a gunman opened fire at a cinema in Colorado, during a showing of the Dark Knight Rises film have penned an open letter to Warner Bros.
The letter, addressed to new Warner Bros. CEO Ann Sarnoff, does not seek to stop the release of the film. Rather, it asks the studio to “end political contributions to candidates who take money from the NRA and vote against gun reform” and “use your political clout and leverage in Congress to actively lobby for gun reform. Keeping everyone safe should be a top corporate priority for Warner Brothers.”
The attack left 12 dead and 70 injured.
Featured Image Credit: Warner Bros.