As night fell, Howard Koch ended his walk early and entered his luxurious villa in a wealthy neighborhood of North Hollywood. With his wife on the East Coast vacationing with their son, Howard was alone in the spacious villa.
In the living room, Howard turned on the TV and switched directly to Fox News. While he was out walking, his old friend Sidney Ganis had called him, mentioning an important piece of news he needed to see. This prompted his early return home.
Fox News, similar to CNN, had its major news segments replayed throughout the day, with every hour on the hour featuring news updates.
Sitting on the sofa, Howard waited a bit and then saw the news Sidney had mentioned.
"If Hollywood can't regulate its own movies, then the government and the church can step in to assist! Movies, as a widely disseminated form of cultural entertainment, must be regulated and restricted..."
On the TV screen, an elderly man in high-ranking Catholic priest garb was spouting off!
Yes, to Howard Koch, the man was spouting nonsense!
"Archbishop Marcos Costello..." Howard's eyes sharpened, focusing intently on the TV screen. "What are you trying to do? Trying to use this opportunity to let the church restrict Hollywood again?"
As the new rotating chairman of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Howard Koch's temperament was completely different from his predecessor, Tom Sherak. While Sherak was relatively easy-going, Howard was a firecracker ready to explode.
By the end of the news segment, Howard couldn't help but slam the sofa armrest, creating a loud bang that knocked the TV remote to the floor.
Standing up, Howard was visibly angry.
"What does the Catholic Church want to do?" He saw the news end and ignored the TV. "The last time wasn't that long ago, and here they are again, trying to use the Hollywood Chinese Theatre shooting to restore the church's influence over Hollywood?"
Pacing back and forth, Howard gritted his teeth and said, "Don't even think about it!"
Archbishop Marcos Costello's interview had truly struck a nerve with Howard.
Hollywood's film industry had grown to its current prosperous state. No religious organization, not even the federal government, could easily interfere!
As a Hollywood veteran, Howard clearly remembered how the church-led censorship system in the 1950s had stifled Hollywood's development, leaving it unable to compete with European cinema and nearly causing its demise.
It wasn't until Hollywood freed itself from the church's constraints that the industry began its rapid growth from the 1970s onward, ultimately defeating European cinema to become the dominant force in the global film market!
Howard couldn't even imagine what would happen if the church re-established its censorship system. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences would never allow such a situation to reoccur.
Murphy also saw Archbishop Marcos Costello's interview. He wasn't surprised by the archbishop's vehement words targeting him and "Dark City," but he noted that the archbishop, not being an insider in Hollywood, likely didn't understand the nuanced, tacit rules within the industry. The archbishop had unwittingly broadened his attack.
"Maybe he doesn't see it..."
Outside the hospital, as Murphy was about to get out of the car, he told Gal Gadot and Margot Robbie, "Or maybe he thinks this is the Catholic Church's chance to reassert its influence over Hollywood."
If that was true, Archbishop Marcos Costello's ambitions were grand indeed.
Murphy stepped out of the car first, accompanied by Gal Gadot and Margot Robbie, under the flash of reporters' cameras and the gaze of TV cameras. Together, they walked into the California Medical Center.
Their visit was mainly to check on the victims of the Hollywood Chinese Theatre shooting.
"Wish you a speedy recovery."
Entering the hospital, Murphy and his companions showed genuine concern for each injured person. They shook hands, offered words of comfort, and even posed for photos when asked. Some younger fans, despite their injuries, were thrilled to meet Murphy, instantly sharing their photos on Facebook or Twitter.
Besides flowers, Gal Gadot also presented small gifts from Stanton Studios. However, they avoided paying for the victims' medical bills to prevent any implication of responsibility.
"Taking on the medical expenses in this case," Murphy explained, "could be seen as admitting responsibility in some media outlets."
Every shooting victim received personal attention from Murphy. If their injuries allowed, he chatted with them briefly.
After nearly a full morning, the visit concluded. As they exited the hospital, Murphy, Gal Gadot, and Margot Robbie were swarmed by reporters.
"Murphy, what are your thoughts on the Hollywood Chinese Theatre shooting?"
Reporters, after days of trying, finally got their chance to question him, and they didn't hold back.
"The shooter is said to be imitating the magician from your film. Is that true?"
"Do you think 'Dark City' is too extreme and should bear some responsibility?"
"Is your visit here because you feel guilty for your film's influence?"
Some questions were quite blunt, "Is this visit a PR move for Stanton Studios and 20th Century Fox, and 'Dark City'?"
Faced with so many questions, Murphy couldn't address them all. After a moment's thought, he responded briefly, "I'm here solely as an individual, not representing any company or film. I hope no one misinterprets this as a PR stunt."
Despite the reporters' continued clamor, Murphy signaled for silence, then added with a somber tone, "Words can't express the shock I feel. We may never truly understand the pain of the victims and their families, but my heart is with them."
Having released a public statement on social media, Murphy didn't say more and left the hospital, knowing that both he and 20th Century Fox couldn't remain silent after the police linked the shooting to "Dark City."
That afternoon, 20th Century Fox issued a public statement: "We are deeply saddened by this shocking tragedy. Our sincere condolences go out to the victims and their families."
Fox also announced the cancellation of all upcoming "Dark City" promotional events to prevent further incidents.
Murphy, through his blog, Twitter, and Facebook, shared a carefully crafted public statement from CAA and Bill Rossi:
"The shooting is a disaster. I deeply mourn the innocent victims."
"I believe film is a great art form in America. Watching stories on the big screen and sharing the viewing experience with others is an important and enjoyable entertainment. Cinemas are my home, and seeing someone commit violence in such a barbaric manner at a cinema is a disaster for me. No words can fully express our sorrow for the innocent victims of this shooting. I can only say our hearts are with them and their families."
The Hollywood Chinese Theatre shooting had profound social repercussions, even drawing concern from President Obama.
In a recent White House press briefing, he expressed "shock and sorrow" over the incident and extended condolences to the victims.
The nation's two largest theater chains, Regal Entertainment and AMC, issued statements banning costumes that might make other patrons uncomfortable, as well as masks and fake weapons.
The incident was rapidly escalating. Whether intentionally or not, "Dark City" was inevitably linked to the shooting.
The stock market also felt the impact. Shares of major theater chains fell, with IMAX down nearly 6% and AMC and Regal Entertainment dropping over 9%.
Several countries increased security measures at cinemas. In the UK and Germany, many theaters banned cosplay costumes and added extra security personnel to monitor the premises, ensuring audience safety.
The Hollywood Chinese Theatre shooting was changing the entire film exhibition industry.
Murphy knew a social media statement wouldn't suffice. He awaited the latest police updates to decide when to give a media interview.
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