Robert De Niro Weighs in on Joker Movie Controversy

Warner Bros. latest DC film, Joker, hasn't yet hit theaters but is already a serious source of controversy. The film, directed by Todd Phillips and Joaquin Phoenix, has prompted a lot of concern about its violent themes and graphic actions with specific fears centering around the idea that certain individuals or groups may identify with Phoenix's Arthur Fleck and turn to real life violence, including mass shootings. The concerns have prompted the U.S. military to issue a warning about the film while some theater chains have taken to boosting security or banning cosplay during the film's opening weekend. The theater in Aurora, Colorado where the 2012 shooting during a screening of The Dark Knight Rises took place won't be showing Joker at all. Phillips has himself spoken out about the concerns, blaming the criticisms on outrage culture but now Robert De Niro is weighing in as well.

Speaking with Variety on the red carpet for The Irishman at New York Film Festival on Friday, De Niro didn't have too much to offer regarding the controversy, though he did say that he thinks that the studio's response to the concerns were "right".

"I like Todd Phillips and Joaquin. They were terrific to work with and, you know, I'm a small part of it and they kind of the association of me with Taxi Driver and King of Comedy is part of it, though it's different, you'll see when one sees the movie yet why, so that's it," De Niro said. "We'll see what happens. I know there's controversy. I think some of the things that were being said about Warner Bros. giving money, not endorsing or whatever it was about the NRA I think is right, whatever people were saying connected with the Aurora theater or whatever organization it was, I don't remember specifically."

De Niro is correct in that it was a group associated with the Aurora theater shooting that levelled concerns about Joker. Last week, a group of surviving loved ones of the Aurora shooting victims sent a letter to Warner Bros, urging the studio to donate to gun-victim charities as well as to not donate to political candidates that support the NRA. Warner Bros. responded with a statement released on Tuesday offering sympathy but didn't actually commit to any financial actions. Instead, their statement highlighted past support and calls for gun reform laws.

"Gun violence in our society is a critical issue, and we extend our deepest sympathy to all victims and families impacted by these tragedies," reads the statement. "Our company has a long history of donating to victims of violence, including Aurora, and in recent weeks, our parent company joined other business leaders to call on policymakers to enact bi-partisan legislation to address this epidemic. At the same time, Warner Bros. believes that one of the functions of storytelling is to provoke difficult conversations around complex issues. Make no mistake: neither the fictional character Joker, nor the film, is an endorsement of real-world violence of any kind. It is not the intention of the film, the filmmakers or the studio to hold this character up as a hero."

The statement prompted the parents of Aurora victim Jessica Gawhi to respond that Warner Bros. statement simply wasn't enough.

"In its statement, Warner Bros. highlighted its past support for the survivors of gun violence and its rhetorical public call on lawmakers in Congress to pass stronger gun reform laws," said parents Sandy and Lonnie Gawhi in a statement. "Let us be clear: asking for change is a good first step, but it's nowhere near enough. Warner Bros. and its parent company must put its money where its mouth is and announce that it will no longer provide political donations to candidates and lawmakers who stand in the way of gun reform."

Joker premieres in theaters on October 4th.

What do you think of the Joker controversy and De Niro's comments? Let us know in the comments below.