Hollywood Reacts to ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ Rampage

Writer/director TONY GILROY of “The Bourne Legacy reacts to the “Dark Knight Massacre.” ©Universal Studios.

By ANGELA DAWSON

Front Row Features

HOLLYWOOD—Producers of “The Bourne Legacy,” the latest installment of the popular “Bourne” action-thriller franchise said Friday they have no intentions of altering or eliminating a scene in that film in which a mass shooting takes place by a lone gunman. The scene is eerily reminiscent of Friday’s mass murder by an armed gunman at an opening night showing of  “The Dark Knight Rises” at an  Aurora, Colo. movie theater.

“We’re still, as most people are, in shock about the events,” said Frank Marshall, who is a producer on “Legacy,” which stars Jeremy Renner as a rogue government assassin being hunted down by his former superiors.

Added Marshall, who produced the three previous “Bourne” films that starred Matt Damon, “It’s just unimaginable. We’re just thinking about the people who have been affected. Certainly we can’t change the movie; it comes out in two weeks. I don’t think I can speculate on anything.”

“It’s only a few hours old,” added Patrick Crowley, another producer on the film.

“The Bourne Legacy’s” director and co-writer Tony Gilroy said it was “way too soon” to speculate on the impact of violent films on audiences.

“We’re not spokemen for anything,” he said. “The only thing that matters is the needs of the people that are directly involved in what happened last night.  Anything else is really presumptuous and really silly for us to comment on.”

The scene in question involves a lone gunman opening fire on co-workers.

“The Bourne Legacy” opens  August 10.

In the meantime, Warner Bros has pulled the trailer for the upcoming period crime drama “Gangster Squad,” which had been attached to “The Dark Knight Rises.” The  preview  of the Sean Penn and Josh Brolin starrer features images from the movie in which mobsters open fire on a movie audience from behind the screen. That film is scheduled to open Sept. 7.