Colorado shooting: Public calls on Christian Bale to swoop in
People are calling upon the caped crusader in the wake of the Colorado theater shooting with the 21st century bat signal: social media.
On Twitter Friday, the hashtag #BaleOutAurora, called for “Dark Knight Rises” star Christian Bale to come to Aurora and visit injured children in the hospital while donning his famous Batman costume. The campaign seems to stem from a Facebook post that that was screen-capped and spread virally in which the writer urged Bale to act accordingly because the children involved in the massacre need a reminder that “heroes can be real too, not just bad guys.”
The tragedy occurred early Friday morning in Aurora, Colo., when a masked gunman began shooting at a midnight screening of “The Dark Knight Rises.” The incident left 12 people dead and dozens injured.
PHOTOS: Colorado movie theater shooting
A publicist for the Oscar-winning actor said Bale is currently in Europe -- the Paris premiere of the film was canceled -- and still determining the most appropriate way to react to the tragedy. Bale released the following statement: “Words cannot express the horror that I feel. I cannot begin to truly understand the pain and grief of the victims and their loved ones, but my heart goes out to them.”
“Dark Knight Rises” director Christopher Nolan issued the following statement on Friday:
“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,” Nolan said. “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 theater 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,” he said. “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.”
ALSO:
Witnesses tell of horrific death scene
MPAA, Cinemark theater chain respond to shooting
Gunman kills 12, injures 50 at ‘Dark Knight Rises’ screening
‘Dark Knight Rises’ collects $30.6 million from midnight screenings
Follow Yvonne Villarreal on Twitter: @villarrealy
More to Read
Only good movies
Get the Indie Focus newsletter, Mark Olsen's weekly guide to the world of cinema.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.