Joker is an upcoming DC film from director Todd Phillips and Warner Bros. Pictures. The film stars Joaquin Phoenix, Zazie Beetz. Robert De Niro, Frances Conroy, Marc Maron, Douglas Hodge and Dante Pereira-Olson and is set for theatrical release October 4, 2019.
A failed stand-up comedian is driven insane and becomes a psychopathic murderer.
It’s real – it’s here – it’s still happening – JOKER – starring Joaquin Phoenix just dropped the first teaser trailer and fans are eating their words today. The film looks fantastic and has a tone that would set it more in line with Christopher Nolan’s Batman franchise. Phoenix seems to be channelling a Heath Ledger type of deep dive into character study as this Joker flick is all about a man’s descent into insanity. I know some people aren’t sold on the Joker makeup for this origin story, but after seeing the big reveal of TV’s Gotham Joker for that show’s series finale – how can you not appreciate director Todd Phillip’s vision here? Old decrepit grandpa Joker (see below for the nightmare) is fitting for Gotham considering we all knew Batman would wind up fighting 70+ year old versions of his iconic rogues gallery due to the screwed up timeline in that series, but what they did to the villain’s appearance in that series is blasphemous.
Sure it looks like Bruce Wayne is in this Joker movie too and he’s still portrayed by a young child, so maybe this stand alone origin story is setting up the mythology incorrectly in that sense, but at least it looks damn well made. Phillips seems to have nailed the tone and this Joker movie is letting Phoenix run wild with the character which should make for a bigscreen version of this villain that fans have been craving more of since Ledger passed away during The Dark Knight.
Check out the Joker from TV’s Gotham below. You were warned….
The Joker from GOTHAM the TV series. What the Hell?