LOS ANGELES, United States — The Los Angeles Police Department said Friday it plans to step up its visibility around movie theaters for the opening of "Joker" because of heightened fears over the film's content. A police spokeswoman told AFP that while there have been no credible threats in the Los Angeles area, "the department will maintain high visibility around movie theaters when (the film) opens" next week. "When we learned that Warner Bros. was releasing a movie called 'Joker' that presents the character as a protagonist with a sympathetic origin story, it gave us pause," the letter said. "A lot has been said about 'Joker,' and we just feel it's time for people to see the film," a studio spokesperson told AFP in explaining the decision. Some theaters have also banned costumes, masks and face paint at screenings of "Joker" amid concerns the film could prompt a repeat of the 2012 massacre.

Source: Philippine Star September 28, 2019 01:30 UTC