• Pop Culture
    • Movies
    • Television
    • Comic Books
    • Video Games
    • Toys & Collectibles
  • Features
    • News
    • Reviews
    • Articles and Opinions
    • Interviews
    • Exclusives
    • Flickering Myth Films
    • FMTV
  • About
    • About Flickering Myth
    • Write for Flickering Myth
    • Advertise on Flickering Myth
  • Socials
    • Facebook
    • YouTube
    • Bluesky
    • Instagram
    • Flipboard
    • Linktree
    • X
  • Terms
    • Terms of Use
    • Privacy Policy

Flickering Myth

Geek Culture | Movies, TV, Comic Books & Video Games

  • News
  • Reviews
  • Articles & Opinions
  • Write for Us
  • The Baby in the Basket

Todd Phillips doesn’t believe the success of Joker is tied to Batman

January 2, 2020 by Liam Waddington

Todd Phillips, the director of the hugely successful Joker, believes the success of the film is not due to the character’s affiliation to Batman.

In a recent interview with Deadline, during their The Contenders New York Event, Phillips was asked if the Joker’s ties to the Dark Knight made it successful, to which he responded with “it was more than that.”

“I think it was more than that,” he said. “I mean, I think there are themes in the movie that really resonated with people. None of us thought an R-rated movie could do over $1 billion across the world. But I think the themes in it really resonated. The thing Scott Silver and I set out to do when we wrote the movie together was to make something meaningful in that comic book space, but also something really that addressed what was going on in 2016 when we started writing. It’s pretty obvious what was happening in our country in 2017 while we were writing it, and really wanted to use Joker to make a movie about the loss of compassion and the lack of decorum in the world.”

“I’ve been around the world with the movie,” he continued, “and, speaking to the audiences, some people see it as an indictment of America and other people see it as a mirror for what’s going on in their country, both with the lack of compassion and with the wealth and equality issues.”

SEE ALSO: Kevin Smith claims Joker originally had a much darker alternative ending

Although the Joaquin Phoenix-starring feature only reached a rating of 69% on Rotten Tomatoes, the film was a financial success after grossing over $1 billion worldwide at the box office. There isn’t long to wait to see if Joker will receive any nominations at the Academy Awards either, with the nominees set to be announced on January 13th.

Do you think the success of Joker is tied to his connection with Batman? Let us know in the comments below or tweet us @flickeringmyth…

Filed Under: Liam Waddington, Movies, News Tagged With: Batman, DC, Joker, Todd Phillips

FMTV – Watch Our Latest Video Here

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE:

Crazy Cult 90s Horror Movies You May Have Missed

10 Great Movies About Twins

An Exploration of Bro Camp: The Best of Campy Guy Movies

The Blockbuster Comic Book Movie Problem: The Box Office Cliff Edge

What Will Amazon Do with James Bond?

The Essential Gene Hackman Movies

20 Epic Car Chases That Will Drive You Wild

10 Great Movies About Making Movies

The Best Eiza González Movies

When Movie Artwork Was Great

WATCH OUR MOVIE NOW FOR FREE ON PRIME VIDEO!

Top Stories:

Movie Review – Good Fortune (2025)

Movie Review – Black Phone 2 (2025)

2025 BFI London Film Festival Review – Is This Thing On?

Comic Book Review – Star Trek: Picard Omnibus

Movie Review – Ballad of a Small Player (2025)

10 Must-See Horror Movies Guaranteed to Make You Squirm

Movie Review – Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein (2025)

The Top 10 Star Trek: The Next Generation Episodes

Hasbro unveils new Star Wars: The Black Series Darth Vader, Boba Fett and Purge Trooper & Patrol Trooper figures

McFarlane Toys launches new wave of DC Multiverse action figures

STREAM FREE ON PRIME VIDEO!

FEATURED POSTS:

Every Friday the 13th Movie Ranked From Worst to Best

Great 90s Neo-Noir Movies You Might Have Missed

7 Prom-Themed Horror Movies You Need To See

8 Must-See Cult Sci-Fi Movies from 1985

Our Partners

  • Pop Culture
    • Movies
    • Television
    • Comic Books
    • Video Games
    • Toys & Collectibles
  • Features
    • News
    • Reviews
    • Articles and Opinions
    • Interviews
    • Exclusives
    • Flickering Myth Films
    • FMTV
  • About
    • About Flickering Myth
    • Write for Flickering Myth
    • Advertise on Flickering Myth
  • Socials
    • Facebook
    • YouTube
    • Bluesky
    • Instagram
    • Flipboard
    • Linktree
    • X
  • Terms
    • Terms of Use
    • Privacy Policy

© Flickering Myth Limited. All rights reserved. The reproduction, modification, distribution, or republication of the content without permission is strictly prohibited. Movie titles, images, etc. are registered trademarks / copyright their respective rights holders. Read our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. If you can read this, you don't need glasses.


 

Flickering MythLogo Header Menu
  • News
  • Reviews
  • Articles and Opinions
  • Write for Flickering Myth
  • About Flickering Myth
  • The Baby in the Basket