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Warner Bros cancels Batman premiere in Japan after shooting

35 Comments

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"The studio said it would continue with screenings for special guests and promotion winners so as not to disappoint fans."

Yes, because a couple of ticket winners sitting in an otherwise empty theater sounds like a lot of fun.

Wankers.

A short message before the movie started with a "moment of silence" might be alright, but seriously, cancel the premiere??

8 ( +7 / -1 )

Really? As far as I know the shooting had nothing to do with the movie. Seems weird to me.

5 ( +6 / -2 )

This bastard nut case killer painted his hair red, and when stopped by the Aurora, Colorado police, the idiot fool identified himself with the JOKER, so it has NOTHING to do with Batman??

0 ( +4 / -4 )

I think Warner Bros are trying to kill 2 birds with 1 proverbial stone, they want to show some kind of remorse for the victims, and they must also be on high alert for any similar copy cat crimes within their premises, because I am sure any lawyer that is worth his or her salt must be contacting the VICTIMS and their families because they LAWSUITS are going to start as soon as these victims/their families get over the mourning period and start the sue the hell out of somebody (movie theater owners, etc..for not providing the adequate security) to protect the innocent, $$$ paying customers.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

This was a business move, pure and simple. If they did nothing, the studio would lose out for years to come. So they've go to do a little MORE than the public expects, (e.g. people saying "isn't this a bit much?) so there's no doubt they AREN'T doing it for business reasons.

But as a poster suggested, I think a moment of silence, some kind of statement or something, before showing this flick as long as it runs, wherever it runs, is a good move.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

Knee jerk reaction.

Duh!

1 ( +1 / -0 )

"...so it has NOTHING to do with Batman??"

CORRECT! He could have yelled out "Viva Mexico" and it means nothing. But, it has everything to do with guns and (possibly) mental illness issues. We need to let the dust settle and let the experts sort it out.

Knee jerk reaction.

Agreed!!

5 ( +6 / -1 )

This seems a reaction somewhat more than the obligatory...

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I have to agree with many of the above posters.

Aside from pissing people off, to what purpose do these cancelations serve?

S

3 ( +4 / -1 )

I agree with other posters in that canceling the premiere is a bit over the top. I think the moment of silence beforehand is a respectable alternative. I can understand canceling the usual celebrity interview section of the premiere as well, since people would probably ask a number of questions about the shooting -- to which the actors/director needn't be subject to -- and basically ruin the entire thing.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Pay respects to the victims with a message just before the movie or in the closing credits. But cancelling premieres is going overboard. What is the chance of a second shooting happening? It was one lone lunatic who killed those poor people.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

This kind of damage control is the accepted practice in the public relations business. Actually (and while I hate to sound cynical) the killings are great free promotion for the film, which is why Warner Bros. need not worry about losing money by delaying its release.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

The studio said it would continue with screenings for special guests and promotion winners so as not to disappoint fans.

Dear Warner Bros Pictures:

This fan is extremely disappointed, and will now stay home from the theater altogether.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

People don't have guns in Japan, but they do have knives. That statement is as ridiculous as canceling the opening. Whatever happened to "The show must go on?"

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Now maybe the MPA will see why people are going to the Theaters less than before, and opting to just download films. I can remember going to movies back in my hometown in the states, and having to sit in a theater where people would smoke joints during the show, or in one case in my home town, once the movie strated, a gunman held up the movie goers and robbed them during the show and escaped. Other bad things happen during movie showing, though not as bad as this, but the industry doesn't like to report it because it would drive people out of the theaters.

The smart thing for the studio to do was as others said, start off with a moment of silence, and then let everyone know that it is jst a movie, and not real life, and people should accept it for what it was just imaginary fantasy and don't try to become copy cat "jokers" as this guy tried to do.

-6 ( +0 / -6 )

The studio said it would continue with screenings for special guests and promotion winners so as not to disappoint fans.

So the premiere won't be "cancelled", then. The headline is wrong.

Moderator: The special screenings for special guests are different from the premiere. The headline is correct.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

They're probably more worried about giving bad press. People are undoubtedly going to make a connection to the shooting and that would make people uncomfortable and that would give the movie a bad image.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

This will be a publicity stunt for the rest of the world.

Most Japanese fans will simply be puzzled and annoyed.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

No. They are doing this correctly. When you go to see a film, you get psyched for it (previews don't help much with this aspect). The popcorn aroma, the look-around, the chilled air, small talk with a friend... and then let the event begin.

A 'moment of silence' would be contrary to the movie and the get-psyched part. It would be a damper.

Let the movie be the movie. It is as how it is made. Do not dampen it with silence moments.

I wonder how many of you would argue against (are against lowering the flag I am not one to care about the flag, but, will make the argument) across the country today in respect? This is a movie, people, lowering the movie for a few days or weeks is a class move.

They are further holding box office opening day disclosures. Another good move.

Let the movie begin as it was intended to be seen when the time is right.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

No. They are doing this correctly

tapi0ca -- agree 100%. 12 people died as a direct result of the fact taht they chose to attend a showing on this movie. And while that is in no way WB's fault, it is the respectful thing for WB to do to not be throwing big glitzy premieres for a while.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

When's the apple tv release?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I think people are misconstruing the actions by WB here. It's not intended to avoid copy-cat crimes, but instead intended as damage control. On a minor level the movie is now associated with a mass killing, so giving it even the briefest of time in terms of delaying a release could help separate that (slightly) in some people's minds. More than that, though, WB is protecting itself -- with litigation in the US you never know what lawsuits people could dream up agains the company over this, even though it's not at all their fault, so this is a kind of preemptive business gesture; they can now say they have done their best in terms of vigil and respecting the dead, etc. In other words, it plays in their favour.

And like I said before, there's nothing wrong with canceling interviews with the stars at premieres... just imagine what they would be like! It would be mostly questions about the massacre and what the actors thought or felt, or if the director felt any responsibility, and then what would any normal questions be by comparison? Canceling the premiere itself being overboard? yes. But again, it's just damage control. The movie will still be out in Japan before we know it.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Chalk up one for the bad guys.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

I haven't been to a movie in ten years or so. I never saw any mention that "Batman" movie had anything to do with the murders. Smith & Wesson does, but who stops using them!

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I didn't have to wear kevlar to go to the theatre here in Jersey. That guy is a nuts case. Btw, the movie is great, not your traditional "justice league" flick, as expected from Nolan.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

I don't think he killed anyone because of "batman", this person is simply deranged, he chose a place and time and did what he came to do. He could just as easily shown up at a spiderman movie and claimed to be some known villain from that cartoon. My 2 cents. he knew the place was going to be completely packed because of the batman premiere showings that night. He was out to kill as many people as he could.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

I watched the movie in Singapore on the day of the massacre in Colorado. It is incomprehensible to me why someone like James Holmes would do something like that. It shows how powerful the effect of continuing drama on the silver screen can affect one person's mind. RIP, the 12dead and may the injured recover from their wounds & trauma.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

The Colorado theater shooting incident is nothing to do with the Batman movie, however there are always some potential copycats. The move Dark Knight and the real shooting incident might stimulate psychos to shoot/kill ordinary people somewhere again just like Holmes did. I think that the WB did a right thing.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

all it takes is one copy cat and then they are screwed, so taking precautions for high profile events makes sense. I would just change the venue and do something for the media

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I think cancelling the premier is a sign of respect for the victims of the shootings. That being said, I don't think the victims would have wanted the premiers cancelled. These were movie geeks like me, and I mean that in the best way. They were Batman fans if not movie fans in general. Movies bring people joy and this movie in particular, where anticipation has been growing for months or even years, brought special joy. This is the kind of movie that makes me feel like a kid again, not because of the content (which is fantastic, by the way), but because it gave me the same feeling like I was a kid again waiting for Christmas morning. I hope in the future, people's first thought won't be these killings when the movie's title is mentioned and instead that they really enjoyed the movie.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Fear is a powerful thing, and if fear is the reason for cancelling their appearances then they have made the wrong decision. I personally am not afraid to go see this or any movie, the nut case has been locked up. Sure there are more than one in the world but I'll take my chances.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

This film will forever be tainted by the massacre: those 12 people who died and the countless injured people have friends and relatives. Whenever Batman is mentioned from now on they will forever associate the character with the deaths.

It's the same with the film "Child's Play"... in the UK it was linked with the murder of a little boy by two older boys. The public have longer memories than the PR people would like to think they have.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

It would be good to have the premier here. The US media can talk about gun control in Japan and show how little shootings take place because of the lack of guns. The NRA argument is that if the shooters did not use a gun, they can just use another weapon like a knife. That doesnt make sense as Im sure the attackers would be overpowered quickly.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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