Christopher Nolan: Aurora Shooting “Senseless”

Christopher Nolan has finally released a statement regarding “The Dark Knight Rises” shooting in Aurora, Colorado, according to Entertainment Weekly. In the aftermath following the tragedy, which has claimed the lives of 12 people and left 59 others injured, many wondered if — and when — the cast and crew of the film would speak out on the incident.

Nolan’s statement reads,

“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.”

So far, only Nolan, actor Gary Oldman and Warner Bros. Studio have issued statements regarding the shooting. In addition to their statement, Warner Bros. has pulled its “Gangster Squad” trailer — which depicts a scene similar to the shooting — from all movie theaters, and has also removed all images of and references to guns from “The Dark Knight Rises” trailers, according to TMZ. BusinessWeek reports that the studio will also be pulling two versions of “The Dark Knight Rises” commercials from television completely.