Update!

Gangster Squad Trailer Yanked From Internet, Dark Knight Rises Following Colorado Shooting

Clip features a scene in which gangsters open fire in a movie theater, reminiscent of the recent Aurora tragedy

By Rebecca Macatee Jul 20, 2012 8:48 PMTags
Gangster Squad, Josh Brolin, Ryan Goslingyoutube.com

Warner Bros. is taking decisive action in the wake of the midnight attact during The Dark Knight Rises screening at a surburban Denver multiplex that left at least 12 people dead.

The studio confirmed to E! News Friday that the trailer for the all-star action film Gangster Squad, which features several armed men opening fire in a movie theater, has been pulled indefinitely from future Dark Knight Rises showings. It has also been scrubbed from the Internet—the official iTunes Trailers page is no longer valid and the studio issued take-down notices for all the versions on YouTube.

Starring Sean Penn, Ryan Gosling, Josh Brolin and Emma Stone, Gangster Squad tells the story of the LAPD's attempt to keep East Coast Mafia types out of Los Angeles during the 1940s and 1950s. Around the Two-minute mark of the trailer, a group of armed men enter a crowded movie theater and open fire.

The clip shows those inside the theater panicking and screaming as machine guns blast away.

Contrary to some reports, however, Warners tells E! News that the Gangster Squad trailer did not run before the packed midnight Dark Knight Rises showing in Aurora before the massacre that left at least a dozen people dead and nearly 60 others injured.

Aside from pulling Gangster Squad trailers nationwide, Warners canceled Friday's Paris premiere of the film and issued a statement saying the studio and filmmakers are "deeply saddened to learn about this shocking Incident. We extend our sincere sympathies to the families and loved ones of the victims at this tragic time."

As of now, however, the studio does not plan to pull Dark Knight Rises nationwide. But there is an increased police presence at theaters across the country, including New York City and Los Angeles, where officers are on a "tactical alert."

"While the tragedy in Aurora, Colo., appears to be an isolated incident, our vigilance has been raised," says Capt. Mike Parker of the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department. "The heightened alert...includes increased patrols to create a more visible presence at movie theaters and other places where people congregate."

Additionally, the National Association of Theater Owners has issued a statement saying it is working with the Department of Homeland Security on "a wide variety of safety concerns, such as ensuring that sensitive areas are properly secured and that access is limited to individuals properly approved to be in those areas."

Per Deadline, AMC Theatres nationwide are banning costumes. The company will also not permit "face-covering masks or fake weapons inside our buildings."

Broadcast and cable channels nationwide have removed advertising for The Dark Knight Rises, according to the Los Angeles Times.

One trailer that is also playing before The Dark Knight Rises also has a checkered history: The Watch.

Earlier this year, 20th Century Fox changed the name of its upcoming Ben Stiller-Vince Vaughn comedy from Neighborhood Watch following the Trayvon Martin case and briefly removed the teaser trailer and promo materials from circulation.

(Originally published July 20, 2012, at 10:19 a.m. PT)