The Clown Prince of Crime is set to make his return to the big screen this year as Joaquin Phoenix takes on the role of the iconic Batman villain for Warner Bros. and DC Films’ standalone Joker movie.
The film, directed by Todd Phillips (The Hangover) is set to explore the origin of the Joker, and it seems it’s going to be very different from the various origins we’ve seen in the comic books as Phillips has revealed to Empire that the movie doesn’t following anything from the source material.
We didn’t follow anything from the comic-books, which people are gonna be mad about,” said Phillips. “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.”
Phillips also went on to reveal that Phoenix had always been his dream casting for the role: “I think he’s the greatest actor. We had a photo of him above our computer while we were writing. We constantly thought, ‘God, imagine if Joaquin actually does this.’”
SEE ALSO: Why Joker is More Scorsese Ode Than Comic Book Movie
Are you excited that Joker is set to present a completely fresh look at the villain, or would you have preferred it to take inspiration from the comics? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below or on social media @FlickeringMyth…
Joker centers around the iconic arch-nemesis and is an original, standalone story not seen before on the big screen. The exploration of Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix), a man disregarded by society, is not only a gritty character study but also a broader cautionary tale.
Joker is set for release on October 4th 2019 and stars Joaquin Phoenix (The Sisters Brothers), Robert De Niro (Goodfellas), Zazie Beetz (Deadpool 2), Bill Camp (Red Sparrow), Frances Conroy (American Horror Story), Brett Cullen (Narcos), Glenn Fleshler (Billions), Douglas Hodge (Penny Dreadful), Marc Maron (GLOW), Josh Pais (Motherless Brooklyn), Shea Whigham (Kong: Skull Island), Douglas Hodge (Robin Hood) and Dante Pereira-Olson (You Were Never Really Here).
Originally published July 10, 2019. Updated November 25, 2019.
