Here’s our first look at Joaquin Phoenix as The Joker
Todd Phillips has unveiled the first look of Joaquin Phoenix as the Joker in the upcoming standalone origin film about the iconic Batman villain.
The photo depicts Phoenix wearing a green jacket, without the Joker’s trademark makeup. The photo is captioned “Arthur,” seemingly confirming rumors that the character’s real name is Arthur Fleck.
Titled simply Joker and due for release in October 4th, 2019, the film is to be directed Todd Phillips (The Hangover, War Dogs). Phillips teamed up with Scott Silver (8 Mile) to write a script described as an “exploration of a man disregarded by society [that] is not only a gritty character study, but also a broader cautionary tale.”
As such, the film is meant to be darker and more experimental in tone and content than previous DC comic book films. It also boasts a modest $55 million price tag, which is significantly lower than most other tentpole flicks in the genre.
Production is scheduled to begin in New York this September.
