Today, via an Instagram post from director, Todd Phillips, we got our first look at Joaquin Phoenix as the Joker in the upcoming 2019 film. During the quick video, we could see the makeup-less Joker standing there with a big smile on his face as quick flashes of clown imagery appear over his face. As the camera zooms in, his smile gets bigger and bigger and it finally cuts to his face in full makeup. This rendition of the Joker looks different than the others we’ve seen in the past, but still resembles a sort of gritty psychopath, as you can see by the imperfect makeup job and a more handmade look – This is all while The Guess Who’s track, “Laughing”, plays in the background, giving it an eerie and creepy feel.
Last week, Todd Phillips posted an Instagram picture of Phoenix without makeup, giving us a small taste of what the Clown Prince of Crime would look like and fans have been eager to see the actor in full makeup. The stand alone Joker film is reported to be set in 1970’s, telling the origin story of the mysterious and iconic Batman villain and is being filmed in New York City. There will apparently be an emphasis on the Joker as a failed stand-up comedian, aligning with the famous Killing Joke origin story from the DC comics. The fascinating thing about this is that the Joker doesn’t have a set or established origin story like his crime fighting counterpart, so it will be interesting to see what Phillips does with the character and how Phoenix portrays him.
Not much else is known about the film, as it’s still early in development. Currently, the film is in production and will star Joaquin Phoenix and Robert De Niro with an Oct. 4, 2019 release date.
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