Warner Bros. Pictures on Twitter
Repost from #toddphillips1: Camera test (w/ sound). Joker. https://t.co/R9W2QqKwNS
Whatever you may have been expecting from the Joker origin film starring Joaquin Phoenix, the look of Batman’s most famous villain goes against every preconceived notion and precedent.
In the video reveal on Twitter for Joker’s makeup design — posted first by director Todd Phillips (The Hangover Trilogy, War Dogs) — gone is the traditional green hair, white face, red lips, and purple costume. Instead, it’s the most literal old school interpretation of the Joker moniker “Clown Prince” that you can think of, more “balloon party” camp than creepy-maniacal.
It’s the type of bold move that may give people pause, even doubts, about what this movie will be, but it seems to be taking the more realistic, psychologically complex (and disturbing) take — even enigmatic — that Christopher Nolan and Heather Ledger ran with in The Dark Knight without trying to copy or rehash that version in the least.
It’s also refreshing to see a legit new take on something so familiar (not to mention the antithesis of the tattooed excesses from Jared Leto‘s obnoxious turn in Suicide Squad), especially with Phoenix in the title role and Martin Scorsese producing. Phillips is said to be drawing inspiration from Scorsese’s King of Comedy.
The only other tease we have so far is this brief synopsis from Warner Bros.:
- JOKER centers around the iconic arch nemesis and is an original, standalone story not seen before on the big screen. Todd Phillips’ exploration of Arthur Fleck (Phoenix), a man disregarded by society, is not only a gritty character study, but also a broader cautionary tale.
Production has just begun on the intriguing stand-alone effort. Co-starring Zazie Beets, Marc Maron, Bill Camp, Shea Whigham, and Brett Cullen, Joker opens next year on October 6, 2019.
