Everything You Need to Know About the Joker Movie Starring Joaquin Phoenix
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After the critical disaster that was Suicide Squad hit theaters in 2016, many fans were shocked and annoyed that Batman's archenemy, the Joker, barely appears in the movie at all despite the character being featured heavily in the film's promotional campaign. Even Jared Leto, who played the classic supervillain, voiced his own frustration at the decision to cut a lot of the Joker's scenes.
In what appears to be a direct response to that (or just another way to milk the DC Extended Universe machine), Warner Bros. announced in August 2017 that multiple films about the iconic character are on the way, including an origin story starring Joaquin Phoenix. If that casting decision piques your interest, take a look at everything we know about the movie ahead.
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The Production Team
In the right hands, a Joker origin story could be great, but the studio's choice to tap Todd Phillips to cowrite and potentially direct hasn't been sitting well with fans, since Phillips's previous directing credits include mostly raunchy comedies like The Hangover, Due Date, and Old School. We wouldn't count him out, however, since a director versed in a different genre should hopefully infuse the DCEU with some much-needed fresh perspective. Scott Silver (8 Mile, The Fighter) is also attached to cowrite the script along with Phillips.
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The Story
According to the studio, the story will pick up with the Joker in Gotham City in the early 1980s prior to his life as a criminal mastermind, resulting in an "exploration of a man disregarded by society [that] is not only a gritty character study, but also a broader cautionary tale." The Hollywood Reporter also revealed that the project's budget is around $55 million, which is noticeably lower than other tent poles in the genre, and fans can expect the stand-alone to be tonally similar to a crime drama.
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The Cast
The tentatively titled Joker's reception will also depend heavily on the actor who takes up the villain's iconic mantle. Despite early rumors that the studio was eyeing Leonardo DiCaprio for the role, Joaquin Phoenix has officially been tapped to play the Crown Prince of Crime. The casting is enough to send the message that Warner Bros. is trying to put the Joker film on the same prestigious level of Christopher Nolan's award-worthy Dark Knight franchise.
Phoenix will appear in the film alongside Zazie Beetz, Frances Conroy, Josh Pais, and Marc Maron. Robert De Niro is also reportedly in talks to join the cast as a talk show host who has a hand in driving Arthur towards a life of crime, which has echoes of his 1982 film The King of Comedy.
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What About Jared Leto’s Joker?
Because Warner Bros. has decided to expand its DC films outside its current cinematic universe, Phoenix's casting won't technically conflict with Leto's Joker, whom he played in 2016's Suicide Squad. Leto will also reprise his role in the upcoming Suicide Squad 2, as well as his recently announced stand-alone film.
The First Look at "Arthur"
Judging from director Todd Phillips's photo of Phoenix in character, this iteration of the villain goes by the name "Arthur" before he later dubs himself the Joker.
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The Release Date
While Leto's Joker film is still in the early stages of production, we have a concrete date for when we'll get to see Phoenix hit the big screen as the iconic villain: Oct. 4, 2019.