As DC and WB attempt to squeeze as many Joker movies out of the Clown Prince of Crime as humanly possible, let’s take a stroll down memory lane courtesy of IGN, in association with Academy Award-winning Makeup Artist, John Caglione Jr., and relive the iconic performance given by Heath Ledger as the titular jester in Christopher Nolan’s venerable comic book film, The Dark Knight.
To celebrate the pic’s 10th anniversary – which Warner Bros. has decided to commemorate by re-releasing the film in IMAX on August 24th – IGN spoke with Caglione Jr., who received an Oscar nomination for his work on the motion picture, and juxtaposed the conversation alongside BTS footage and snippets of the theatrical cut to comprise a genuinely compelling look at how Heath Ledger’s Joker was brought into existence.
Beginning with the first time Caglione Jr. read the script, the featurette takes us through early meetings, makeup tests and the various inspirations that influenced the outcome of Ledger’s warpaint. Trust me, this is one vignette you won’t want to miss.
Incredibly, a decade removed from the initial release of Christopher Nolan’s thrilling crime saga, and we’re still uncovering tidbits of trivia that are altering the way in which we perceive the immortal superhero feature. And this new look at inarguably one of cinema’s most notorious villains will undoubtedly shed some new light onto a character you thought you had all figured out.
And just in case this video has put you in the mood to search for more Joker-related intelligence from The Dark Knight, look no further. Earlier this year, we received some early pieces of concept art which envisioned Elijah Wood and Trent Reznor as Mr. J instead of the man who revolutionized the role.
