Joaquin Phoenix to put spin on ‘Joker’
Production has begun on origin story due in 2019
Not kidding: We’re looking forward to seeing Joaquin Phoenix star in “Joker.”
The actor is taking on DC Comics’ most famous villain in a movie set to hit theaters on Oct. 4, 2019.
So how will this version of Batman’s archenemy be different from the ones played by Heath Ledger (“The Dark Knight”), Jared Leto (“Suicide Squad”), Jack Nicholson (Tim Burton’s “Batman”) and others?
Here’s what we know so far about the film:
Phoenix is playing the title role
The actor, who was nominated for an Oscar for his unsteady Emperor Commodus in 2000’s “Gladiator,” is portraying the Joker both before and after the character undergoes his clown makeup transformation.
Director Todd Phillips (“Old School,” “The Hangover”) posted a video of Phoenix in September that showed a “camera test” of the actor, first looking like a mild-mannered man in a zip-up hoodie, then looking scary as Joker yukking it up to the tune of “Laughing” by the Guess Who.
‘Joker’ will be an origin story
Warner Bros. has described the movie as a standalone story about “a man disregarded by society,” serving as “not only a gritty character study but also a broader cautionary tale.” That man is called Arthur. The film was announced at San Diego Comic-Con in 2017, and comic book fans weren’t exactly happy about the news. It’s set in Gotham City in the 1980s.
Robert De Niro is expected to co-star
“Joker” could be the first comic book movie for De Niro.
The actor is in talks to play a role in the film, a person familiar with the situation but not authorized to speak publicly about it confirmed to USA TODAY in July.
According to Variety, the plot echoes De Niro’s famed role in 1982’s “The King of Comedy,” in which a failing comedian (De Niro) kidnaps a popular talk-show host to gain fame. In “Joker,” the roles would be reversed, with De Niro playing the smug host.
“Deadpool 2” star Zazie Beetz and “GLOW” actor Marc Maron also are part of the “Joker” cast.
Alec Baldwin pulled out of the movie
Baldwin has withdrawn from the role of Bruce Wayne’s father, Thomas, in “Joker.” The actor told USA TODAY, “I’m no longer doing that movie,” citing scheduling issues.
‘Joker’ production has begun
Pictures of Phoenix, as Arthur and as the full-blown Joker, have been snapped over the last couple months. On Monday, the actor was seen on the set in New York, filming a cemetery scene in a maroon suit.