A California movie theater closed Thursday night after police said they received ‘credible’ information about a possible threat at the location tied to the opening of the controversial new Joker movie.
Police officers were sent to the Bella Terra shopping center’s Century Huntington Beach and XD theater in Huntington Beach, California, Thursday at about 5pm, while the theater cancelled all scheduled screenings of movies past 4.45pm, according to the Los Angeles Times.
The theater was said to have closed its doors at about 7pm, two hours after police arrived, CBS LA reported.
A California movie theater closed down Thursday night after police said that it had received a ‘credible’ threat there, associated to the opening of the new Joker movie (pictured)
Police said the threat was ‘credible enough’ that they needed to provide ‘uniformed presence’ (pictured) at this Century Theaters in Huntington Beach, California
The Huntington Beach Police Department said Friday in a Facebook post that it had ‘received information about a possible threat’ to the movie theaters on Wednesday and that ‘The threat was in response to the opening of the movie, “Joker.”‘
On Thursday, ‘the police department deemed the threat was credible enough to provide a uniformed presence at the theater,’ police said, adding that ‘As the investigation continued, our officers worked with the managers of the theater, who determined they would cancel the final two showings of the movie and close the theater out of an abundance of caution.’
Police said that an investigation showed that it would be safe for the theater to reopen and ‘resume normal operation’ on Friday, but noted that it would be providing officers to patrol the theater throughout the weekend.
As the situation was still being investigated, police said that they would not be providing additional details about the case.
Police said that the theater decided to cancel the final two showings of the Joker movie and then close down for the evening. It reopened on Friday
Police in major US cites had been on alert Thursday as Joker (pictured) opened in theaters following fears that its disturbing portrait of a bullied loner raised fears it might spark violence
Joker stars Joaquin Phoenix (pictured) as the titular character, a mentally unhinged outcast who unwittingly finds fame through an act of violence
The specifics of the threat against the movie theater and how it was reported to police are still unclear.
Police in major US cites had been on alert Thursday as Joker opened in theaters following weeks of publicity surrounding its disturbing portrait of a bullied loner raised fears it might spark violence.
The movie is an origin story about Batman’s comic-book nemesis, starring Joaquin Phoenix. Reviewers have described his performance as the titular character – a mentally unhinged outcast who unwittingly finds fame through an act of violence – being brilliant but terrifying.
The DC Comics character is associated with a 2012 mass shooting at a movie theater in Aurora, Colorado, during a screening of a different Batman film, ‘The Dark Knight Rises.’ Families of some of the victims expressed concern about the new film and it will not be shown in the Aurora multiplex.
Officers wearing helmets and armed with assault rifles stood outside a screening of Joker at the New York Film Festival on Wednesday night, where audiences had their bags searched and K9 officers were on duty, video footage showed.
Police in New York, Los Angeles and Chicago said in statements that while they had no specific threats, they were deploying additional officers or closely monitoring movie theaters where the Joker is playing.
Costumes and face masks have been banned for moviegoers at two US theater chains – AMC and Landmark – while the Alamo Drafthouse cinema group warned parents not to bring their children.
The Parents Television Council (PTC), a media watchdog, issued a similar warning on Thursday. ‘Parents may believe that this film is appropriate for kids given that is an extension of the popular Batman franchise,’ the PTC said in a statement.
Movie studio Warner Bros. said last week that the film was not an endorsement of real-world violence.
‘It is not the intention of the film, the filmmakers or the studio to hold this character up as a hero,’ Warner Bros. said in a statement.
Despite the controversy, the movie is expected to take in a bumper $80million or more on its opening weekend in North America, according to box-office analysts.
On Friday, it was revealed that the movie landed an October box office record, earning $13.3million from its Thursday night showings alone, according to studio Warner Bros.
Joker unseated Venom, which also holds the record for best October opening with $80.3million, according to Comscore.
Joker director Todd Phillips criticized people who have attacked the film without seeing it.
I didn’t imagine the level of discourse that it’s reached in the world, honestly,’ Variety reported him as saying at the New York Film Festival on Wednesday.
‘I think it’s OK that it sparks conversations and there are debates around it. The film is the statement and it’s great to talk about it, but it’s much more helpful if you’ve seen it.’
Phillips was also quoted as saying: ‘Isn’t it a good thing to take away the cartoon element about violence that we’ve become so immune to? I was a little surprised when it turns into that direction, that it’s irresponsible.
‘Because, to me, it’s very responsible to make it feel real and make it have weight and implications.’
Despite receiving critical acclaim, social media monitoring FBI agents in the US have warned it could inspire screening attacks from incels – a term which refers to men who are ‘involuntarily celibate’ and blame their situation on women.