Joker Cosplay Banned By Landmark Theaters For The Movie’s Opening Weekend

If you were excited about attending the opening weekend of Joker while using the opportunity to perfect your Joker cosplay this weekend, you’re fresh out of luck. Anyone who arrives at Landmark or Regal Cinema theaters dressed up as Batman’s notorious arch rival will find themselves turned away at the doors, according to TMZ.

While Landmark is taking things one step further in disallowing costumes of any type for both employees and moviegoers, other major movie theater chains have already prohibited the use of props, face paint and masks at their venues for the latest addition to the Batman movie library created by Todd Phillips. Speaking with TMZ, Landmark CEO Ted Mundorff — who watches over Landmark’s 50-plus theaters — was very matter-of-fact about the restrictions that will only apply to the new Joker movie starring Joaquin Phoenix.

“We are not allowing costumes, face painting or masks by either our employees or guests.”

The news is no doubt connected to the tragic 2012 shooting in Aurora, Colorado where 12 people were killed and 58 injured at a midnight screening of Batman flick, The Dark Knight Rises.

An open letter written for Warner Bros and published in Variety reported that the families of the victims were “horrified” by the new Joker movie. In the letter, the families shared their concern over the new Joker movie and that they’re been working on raising awareness of the need for gun control.

“This tragic event, perpetrated by a socially isolated individual who felt ‘wronged’ by society has changed the course of our lives. As a result, we have committed ourselves to ensuring that no other family ever has to go through the absolute hell we have experienced and the pain we continue to live with. Trust us, it does not go away. 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.”

Warner Bros reportedly responded by letting the family know that it’s already working to quell the epidemic of gun violence in the U.S., assuring them that the Joker movie is not a glorification of violence doesn’t paint the main character as hero archetype, despite the concerns of some that the villain has a “sympathetic” origin story.

The previous movie to feature everyone’s favorite green-haired villain on the big screen was the 2016 release, Suicide Squad, where he was played by Jared Leto. Despite the movie being a box office success, it didn’t fare so well with the critics, and under-performed its financial expectations. The latest Joker movie is pitched as a psychological thriller intended to be the first in a series of stand-alone movies by DC Comics, which it’s calling DC Black. An origin story, the premise is set in 1981 and will follow the failed stand-up comic, Arthur Fleck, who slowly becomes unhinged and begins to wreak havoc on Gotham City.

The news arrives shortly after another beloved clown was lost with the sad death of horror icon, Sid Heig, who played Captain Spaulding in Rob Zombie’s House of 1000 Corpses, per The Inquisitr earlier this week.