Landmark Theatre bans Joaquin Phoenix-starrer 'Joker' costumes ahead of screenings

Washington DC: As the release of the much-awaited psychological thriller film 'Joker' is nearing up, some theatres are taking extra precautions to put moviegoers at ease.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Landmark Theatres, the country's largest independent cinema chain, is extending its usual ban on face masks and toy weapons to include all costumes during the film's theatrical run.

The film which is set to hit the theatres on October 4, is estimated to hit the box office records with USD 80 million domestically in its first weekend. Directed by Todd Phillips, the film stars ace actor Joaquin Phoenix who will be seen playing the role of Arthur Fleck a lonely man suffering from a disorder that makes him an outcast in his society. The psychological thriller, which follows Fleck as he spirals into the depths of his mental illness and becomes the murderous DC Comics villain, has sparked conversation for its realistic gun violence and brutal scenes.

"I want customers to be comfortable in their surroundings," Landmark president-CEO Ted Mundorff told The Hollywood Reporter, noting Joker's dark themes. Currently, Landmark has 50 theatres across the nation.

Since the 2012 shooting at a midnight screening of 'The Dark Knight Rises' in Aurora, Colorado, most movie theatres across the country did not allow customers or employees to wear face masks and face paint or to carry toy weapons. Body costumes, however, have generally been allowed.