Being someone who has an immense appreciation for the Joker, you can image that I’m looking forward to the upcoming origin film starring Joaquin Phoenix. Granted, it may be outside the shared continuity of DC flicks first established by Man of Steel back in 2013 and divulge what some may consider to be too much about the Clown Prince of Crime’s background, but has anyone stopped to consider that it may turn out well? I mean, Robert De Niro and Zazie Beetz wouldn’t have signed up if the screenplay had been garbage.
Actually, there is one minor gripe I have about the movie, and that’s how it’ll present yet another Ace of Knaves on celluloid while Jared Leto is still attached to the character in another capacity. Don’t get me wrong, I’d be surprised if Leto were to get a second go-round no matter what PR line I’m being fed, but it’s hard not picturing the average moviegoer being confused by this situation.
Again, I have no beef with Phoenix taking on the role, but it’s not like he’d care if I did because he’s unfazed by any hate being directed toward him. Either way, it looks like production will soon be underway, as The Wrap’s own Umberto Gonzalez Tweeted today that the ball gets rolling in just two weeks.
By now, most of you who follow comic book movie news on a regular basis are aware of Gonzalez’s solid track record on getting inside information, so maybe he’s heard something corroborating earlier reports of a September start date. Or, he was simply giving us all a reminder.
As for the material itself, keep in mind that this won’t be your typical genre film, as Phoenix had this to offer in an interview last month:
“I wouldn’t quite classify this as like any genre. I wouldn’t say it’s a superhero movie, or a studio movie or a … It feels unique, and I think more then anything, and probably the most important thing, is Todd seems very passionate about it and very giving, and so that’s exciting. I think, underneath the excitement of these films, and the size of them, there are these incredible characters that are dealing with real life struggles. And sometimes that is uncovered and exposed, and sometimes it isn’t, and so I always felt, like, there were characters in comics that were really interesting and deserve the opportunity to be kind of studied. And so I think that’s what Todd sees appealing about this idea.”
Joker arrives in theaters on October 4th, 2019.