We’re now 3 months away from the premiere of the much anticipated Joker movie. The film based on the DC supervillain is scheduled to come out on 4 October 2019. It is directed by Todd Phillips who co-wrote the screenplay with Scott Silver. The film stars Joaquin Phoenix as the Joker, together with Robert De Niro, Zazie Beetz, Frances Conroy and more.
via @ToddPhillips1 (instagram)
Set in 1981, the story is about how failed stand-up comedian Arthur Fleck becomes Batman’s psychopathic nemesis Joker. Phoenix is the fifth actor to portray Joker in a theatrical film. Ever since the news of him being Joker broke, fans have kept a close watch on the film’s developments. The first teaser came out in April this year, which drew mostly praise for its dark psychological tone. This is telling of Phillips’ inspiration from Martin Scorsese’s films like Taxi Driver. Plus, what pleased many fans was how Phillips did research with “Batman: The Killing Joke” by Alan Moore and Brian Bolland for the script.
But in the latest interview with Empire, Phillips dropped the bomb that might shock fans of the DC comics. “We didn’t follow anything from the comic-books, which people are gonna be mad about,” he says. “We just wrote our own version of where a guy like Joker might come from. That’s what was interesting to me. We’re not even doing Joker, but the story of becoming Joker. It’s about this man.”
Needless to say, people’s reactions so far are not all positive. Some wondered why this film is even being made, some call it strange and some are just downright confused.
Perhaps why it’s puzzling fans so much is that the film is about Joker, one of the most iconic Batman villains. But they forget that the movie is a standalone, meaning it’s separate from the DC Extended Universe.
As written in the official description: “Under the direction of Todd Phillips, the film centers around the iconic arch nemesis and is an original, standalone story not seen before on the big screen. Phillips’ exploration of a man disregarded by society is not only a gritty character study, but also a broader cautionary tale.”
Well, if it’s any consolation, Phillips has nothing but faith in Phoenix and his ability to bring the role of Arthur/Joker to life in his own unique way. Phillips calls him “the greatest actor” and claims that he was his first choice to play Joker.
“We had a photo of him above our computer while we were writing. We constantly thought, ‘God, imagine if Joaquin actually does this.'”
Joker comes out on 4 October 2019.
You must be logged in to post a comment.