"May God be with you."
Walking into the patient ward of the University of California Medical School, Duke and Scarlett Johansson, both with grave expressions, shook hands and greeted each injured victim. They did not refuse any requests for photos. Some young fans didn't seem to care about their injuries at all. Not only did they gather around Duke to take pictures, but they also immediately posted them on Instant Share or Twitter.
After nearly half a morning, Duke and Scarlett Johansson walked out of the University of California Medical School and were immediately surrounded by a large number of reporters at the entrance.
"Duke, what do you think about this incident?"
"It's said that the murderer was imitating the Joker. Is that true?"
"Don't you think your film should bear some responsibility?"
"Are you appearing here because you feel guilty?"
Some reporters and paparazzi were also quite rude. "Did you come here to help Warner Brothers with their public relations?"
"I represent myself, not any company, and I hope no one maliciously speculates that this is a publicity stunt for the film," Duke firmly denied. Then he said sorrowfully, "Words can no longer express the shock I feel. I don't think we can truly understand the pain of the victims and their families, but my heart will be with them."
Soon after, Christian Bale and his wife came out, drawing away a large group of reporters. Under the protection of his bodyguards, Duke left the University of California Medical School by car.
Before the official police report was released, he would not say anything more, and even the statement he made earlier had been carefully drafted by Panny Kallis.
The shooting's impact was enormous; even the Washington authorities and the White House expressed concern. At noon, the Los Angeles County Police Department held an official press conference.
At the media briefing, Los Angeles County Police Chief Lee Pace released an official investigation report, stating that within the past 60 days, James Holmes had purchased two .40-caliber Glock pistols, one 12-gauge shotgun, and one AR-15 semi-automatic rifle from local gun stores.
During the same period, James Holmes bought over 3,000 rounds of rifle ammunition, 3,000 rounds of handgun ammunition, and 300 shotgun shells online.
"Through the internet, he also purchased several automatic rifle magazines, including a 100-round drum magazine found at the crime scene," Lee Pace said before the cameras. "Experts told me that with this magazine, James Holmes could fire 50 to 60 rounds per minute. From what I know, in a theater like that, it's an extremely fast rate of fire."
However, Lee Pace also confirmed that all of James Holmes' weapons, magazines, and ammunition were legally purchased.
He then announced the latest statistics: as of now, 12 people had been confirmed dead, while the number of injured had been revised from the previously reported 59 to 58.
Among the dead and wounded, most had been shot, with only a few injured due to other causes.
Furthermore, Lee Pace revealed new details in the case. After being arrested, James Holmes admitted to installing explosive devices in his apartment, equipped with trigger mechanisms, forcing police to evacuate residents from five surrounding buildings in his neighborhood.
In the early hours, police, together with agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the FBI, sealed off the area. Using a vehicle-mounted lift, they approached the third-floor apartment of a red-brick building, broke a window with an axe, and inserted a 20-foot-long pole with a camera attached to inspect the interior.
He described the scene: the apartment was filled with wires, with soda cans scattered across the floor, the wires connected to "chemical and incendiary devices."
"What we saw was an extremely complex setup," said the police chief, his eyes bloodshot from lack of sleep the previous night. "Defusing it could take hours or even days. We honestly have no idea how to proceed… I've never seen anything like it."
The Los Angeles police temporarily abandoned attempts to disarm the explosives and awaited the arrival of federal experts at the scene.
Police had not yet determined James Holmes' motive, nor had they found any evidence linking the incident to terrorism.
However, the fact that James Holmes had referred to himself as "the Joker" had already been leaked to the media.
Just after the press conference ended, several experts eagerly stepped forward to give interviews, claiming that this was a classic case of copycat crime and that the film being imitated should bear the primary responsibility.
Meanwhile, Duke and Warner Brothers each released public statements.
Warner Brothers stated, "After learning of this shocking and tragic event, Warner Brothers Pictures is deeply saddened. We extend our sincerest condolences to the victims and their families affected by this tragedy."
Warner also announced the cancellation of red-carpet premieres originally scheduled in Paris, Mexico, and Tokyo, and declared that it would not publicly announce The Dark Knight Rises' opening weekend box office. Additionally, it would remove gun and explosion-related scenes and dialogue from the film's pre-show trailers.
"This shooting incident is a catastrophe. I express my deepest condolences to the innocent audience members who suffered from it," Duke stated on behalf of The Dark Knight Rises cast and crew. "I believe cinema in America is a great art form. Watching stories unfold on the big screen and sharing that experience with others is an important and joyful part of life. The movie theater is my home, and seeing someone commit such brutal violence there is a personal tragedy for me. For the innocent victims of this shooting, no words can truly express our sorrow. All I can say is that our hearts are with them and their families."
The incident caused a tremendous reaction across society, especially from President Obama, a long-time advocate for gun control, who was among the first to respond.
Upon learning the latest developments in the shooting case, Obama expressed his "shock and sorrow" and extended his condolences to the victims. He also ordered all flags in the country to be flown at half-mast for six days in mourning. This included the White House, all U.S. embassies and consulates abroad, all public government buildings, military outposts, naval base commands, and U.S. Navy ships—all flying flags at half-mast for six days to mourn this tragic event that caused numerous deaths and injuries.
"Michelle and I are deeply shocked and saddened by this terrible shooting incident. My administration will do everything possible to support the families affected by the tragedy and help them through this extraordinarily difficult time. We are living in a period of darkness and challenge; we must remain united as one American family."
In his public statement, Obama said, "The federal government will ensure that the suspect faces fair justice and will do its utmost to protect the safety of the American people. The shooter's actions are evil and meaningless. We will never truly understand what drives a person to take the lives of others. This reminds us of the fragility of life and the preciousness of time."
The New York City and Los Angeles municipal governments also issued public statements, focusing particularly on theater security:
"We will increase police presence in major city theaters and thoroughly inspect audiences to prevent any imitation of the Santa Monica shopping plaza theater shooting."
North America's two largest theater chains, Regal Entertainment and AMC, issued statements announcing that fans would be prohibited from entering theaters wearing costumes, masks, or carrying imitation weapons that could make other viewers uncomfortable.
The incident continued to escalate rapidly. Whether subjectively or objectively, The Dark Knight Rises could not separate itself from the tragedy.
Normally, Hollywood studios release box office results immediately after the weekend, but this tragic shooting disrupted that tradition.
Major studios—including Warner Brothers, Sony Columbia, 20th Century Fox, Walt Disney, Paramount Pictures, and Universal Pictures—announced that they would not be releasing the weekend's box office results on Monday. Box office tracking firm Rentrak also stated that it would not publicly report the weekend earnings.
Affected by the shooting, Warner Brothers canceled the planned The Dark Knight Rises premiere in Paris and also decided to cancel promotional events originally scheduled in Mexico City and Tokyo.
The tragedy even rippled into the stock market. On the day of the shooting, the shares of cinema-related companies across the United States all declined to varying degrees. IMAX Corporation's stock fell by nearly six percent, while AMC and Regal Entertainment dropped by more than nine percent.
Many countries also heightened security measures at their theaters. In the United Kingdom and Germany, numerous cinemas banned audiences from entering in cosplay outfits of movie characters. Additional security personnel were deployed in theater lobbies to monitor every corner without blind spots, ensuring audience safety.
Every incident takes time to fully ferment. On that Friday, the effects of the shooting were still spreading. The Dark Knight Rises was affected to some extent, but the impact was not overwhelming. Although its first-day North American box office failed to reach Warner Brothers' $100 million expectation, it still achieved as much as $91.48 million.
Meanwhile, the internet and media began circulating many negative comments about The Dark Knight Rises, along with rumors claiming that Warner Brothers planned to delete all gun-related scenes and dialogue from the film.
"In fact, the report was referring to another Warner Brothers film—an American gangster movie set in the 1930s and 1940s—which has nothing to do with The Dark Knight Rises."
Warner Brothers' Jamie Johnson promptly came forward to clarify:
"Before The Dark Knight Rises is shown, there's a trailer for another film—an American gangster story—that was removed from domestic screenings. Moreover, The Dark Knight Rises has already been released in the United States; how could anything be deleted now? Superhero films and police thrillers all include gunfight scenes. In truth, The Dark Knight Rises has little to do with real-world violence."
Although Warner Brothers worked hard to dispel the rumors, both they and Duke knew that many people in Hollywood were already taking action. Starting Saturday, a fierce media battle among multiple parties was inevitable.
.....
Hi For access to additional chapters of
Director in Hollywood (40 chpaters)
Made In Hollywood (60 Chapters)
Pokemon:Bounty Hunter(30 Chapters)
Hollywood:From Razzie to Legend(40 Chapters)
The Great Ruler (30 Chapters)
Join pateron.com/Translaterappu