Fox News Flash top entertainment headlines for Jan. 7
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The parents of an Aurora, Colo., movie theater shooting victim are calling out "Joker" director Todd Phillips and Warner Bros. over the film's depiction of violence.
In an interview Monday with Fresh Air's Terry Gross, Phillips said that he didn't expect the backlash.
"We knew our intentions in making the movie. It kind of bummed us out that it was so divisive," said Phillips, 49. "But it does seem to be that we live in an age of outrage now, and people look for things to be outraged about and they're going to be outraged just about that comment, probably. It's become a thing."
"The good news is the movie obviously struck a chord and people were having discussions about it and arguing about its merits," he added.
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Following Phillips' statement, Sandy and Lonnie Phillips -- no relation to the director -- released a statement via Twitter, calling out Todd Phillips and the film's production company, Warner Bros.
".@jokermovie director Phillips said yesterday we’re outraged about Joker for the sake of it. Wrong!" they said. "We're outraged companies like @warnerbros profit from violent movies while failing to work to prevent actual gun violence. work w/ us -- together, we can save lives."
The tweet also contained a letter addressed directly to Todd Phillips.
"We are not outraged about 'The Joker' because it has become a 'thing' to 'look for things to be outraged about,'" the letter read. "We are outraged because our daughter Jessica Ghawi was murdered by an individual who was easily able to obtain firearms and ammunition in Aurora, Colorado. We are outraged because since her death, approximately 272,700 more Americans lost their lives in gun violence."
Sandy and Lonnie Phillips are parents to Jessica Ghawi, who died during a screening of "The Dark Night Rises" in 2012.
"We are outraged because in the face of such carnage, Warner Bros. continues to profit from movies that depict fictional acts of gun violence while donating to lawmakers and candidates who make it easier for individuals to obtain firearms and commit acts of violence in the real world," the letter continues.
The parents called Todd Phillips' comments "flippant and dismissive," as well as stating that they are "outraged" that Warner Bros. has "refused to meet with survivors of gun violence."
"We are outraged at your flippant and dismissive remarks about our very real concerns and we are outraged that Warner Bros. has refused to meet with survivors of gun violence," they wrote in the letter.
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After parents of the shooting's victims publically raised concerns about "Joker" last year, Warner Bros. released a statement in response.
"Gun violence in our society is a critical issue, and we extend our deepest sympathy to all victims and families impacted by these tragedies," the company said, adding that it "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 bipartisan legislation to address this epidemic."
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"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," Warner Bros. added.
Reps for Todd Phillips and Warner Bros. did not immediately respond to Fox News' request for comment.
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