UPDATED: Christopher Nolan’s Statement And Other Updates On The Tragedy In Colorado

Those of us here at The Mary Sue are fortunate enough to work in a field where the news is cheerful most of the time. We mourn those in the genre world who have passed, get emotional about injustices that relate to our purview but we never thought we’d have to report on the events which took place in Aurora, Colorado yesterday. A lot of the news is getting sensationalized and while we want The Mary Sue to remain a place you come to escape from the seriousness of every day life, we also know this is a story that is important to many people. We’ve collected the latest developments on the story, including a statement from The Dark Knight Rises director, Christopher Nolan. EDIT: We’ve now updated the story to include actor Christian Bale’s statement.

Nolan’s statement via Mashable:

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.

Hollywood as a whole are making adjustments as a result of the shooting. The Hollywood Reporter says Warner Bros. are keeping silent on box office numbers until Monday out of respect for the victims. “Out of respect for the victims and their families, Warner Bros. Pictures will not be reporting box office numbers for The Dark Knight Rises throughout the weekend.  Box office numbers will be released on Monday,” the studio said in a statement. Other studios have access to the numbers but let’s hope they have the decency to follow Warner Bros. suit. It’s a small gesture, to be sure, but a gesture nonetheless. The studio had already cancelled the film’s Paris premiere and plans to do the same with the ones planned for Mexico and Japan as well.

Several television networks pulled commercials for TDKR before Warners got involved. “NBC pulled the ads this morning and then later heard from Warners’ agency not to run them,” a source told Deadline. TNT and FX networks did not change their scheduled airings of Batman Begins or The Dark Knight but other networks have changed other scheduled programming that involved hostage situations according to THR.

Meanwhile, AMC theaters have banned costumes in their establishments. MSNBC writes, “AMC Theatres said it will not let guests bring costumes, face-covering masks or fake weapons into the movies. The company added that anyone wanting a refund in light of this new policy will be granted one.” I can speak from experience that there was also an increased police presence at the AMC Loews theater I patronized.

The latest reports say the suspect accused of the shooting, which killed 12 and injured over 50, declared himself the Joker to police. That last bit of information is still only coming from an anonymous source. Aurora Police are now attempting to figure out the best approach to enter the suspect’s apartment, which was set with explosives. “It is a very vexing problem how to enter that apartment safely. I personally have never seen anything like what the pictures show us is in there,” Police Chief Dan Oates told the press.

Anyone looking to help can contact the local Red Cross chapter or volunteer if you’re in the area. You can also help by donating to the Colorado Organization for Victim Assistance. Our thoughts go out to the victims, their friends, family, and the community at large.

UPDATE: TDKR actor, Christian Bale, has released a statement:

Words cannot express the horror that I feel. I cannot begin to truly understand the pain and grief of the victims and their loved ones, but my heart goes out to them.