Usually people in the industry would call the following damage control, but I am getting the sense that Warner Bros., theater chains, and everyone involved in this weekend’s distribution of The Dark Knight Rises is genuine in their statements on last night’s theater shootings. Christopher Nolan just put out a statement of his own on the tragedy that is worth a quick read.
Speaking on behalf of the cast and crew of The Dark Knight Rises, I would like to express our profound sorrow at the senseless tragedy that has befallen the entire Aurora community. I would not presume to know anything about the victims of the shooting but that they were there last night to watch a movie. I believe movies are one of the great American art forms and the shared experience of watching a story unfold on screen is an important and joyful pastime. The movie theatre is my home, and the idea that someone would violate that innocent and hopeful place in such an unbearably savage way is devastating to me. Nothing any of us can say could ever adequately express our feelings for the innocent victims of this appalling crime, but our thoughts are with them and their families.
As a side note, I am reading that Warner Bros. may opt to forgo box office reports for the rest of the weekend. The numbers will still come out though from rival studios, so regardless of their decision you should expect to see how Batman did day-to-day.