With shooting now underway in New York City, the Joker origin film – starring Joaquin Phoenix as the titular jester – is really starting to take shape.
The past week or so has been a busy one for fans of the Clown Prince of Crime, with more content pouring out onto the web than we can handle. From set pics to videos of Phoenix looking maniacal and even that clip of the actor in full Joker makeup which damn near broke the internet, there’s been a lot to take in. The goodies just keep on coming, too, with our first look at Deadpool 2 and Atlanta star Zazie Beetz arriving today via Just Jared.
Down in the gallery below you’ll find a few shots of the actress on set alongside Phoenix, as well as those aforementioned pics of the latter which debuted last week. For more of Beetz, though, you’ll have to head on over to JJ via the link at the bottom of this article, as they’ve got the full collection of snaps.
Plot details for the Joker pic are practically non-existent at this point, and understandably so, but the studio’s described it as a “gritty character study,” with the official synopsis reading as such:
Under the direction of Todd Phillips, the film centers around the iconic arch nemesis and is an original, standalone story not seen before on the big screen. Phillips’ exploration of a man disregarded by society is not only a gritty character study, but also a broader cautionary tale.
As for Beetz’s role, well, we can’t say for sure who she’s playing just yet, but recent reports point to her character being named Sophie Dumond, “a single mother living on the Lower East Side, doing the best she can, trying to make ends meet; worn out by the grind of the city.” That remains unconfirmed for now, but all the signs say she’s a love interest for Phoenix’s Arthur Fleck, which would certainly make sense.
Joker has been penciled in for a release on October 4th, 2019 and will be completely unaffiliated with the DCEU, making it a standalone, self-contained story for the Clown Prince of Crime. And judging by what we’ve seen so far, it’s one that you won’t want to miss out on.
