Joaquin Phoenix Calls Joker Origins Movie “Unique”
by Erik Amaya
There are many reactions to the news that Warner Bros. Pictures will produce two Joker movies in the coming years. One, starring Jared Leto, will continue from 2016’s Suicide Squad while the other, to be directed by The Hangover‘s Todd Phillips, will be an out-of-continuity examination of the character’s origins on the mean streets of Gotham. And while some might call the later film “unnecessary,” star Joaquin Phoenix calls it “unique.”
During a recent conversation with Collider, Phoenix opened up about the project and why he decided to take on the pancake make-up and deathly smile of the Clown Prince of Crime. “Underneath the excitement of these films, and the size of them, there are these incredible characters that are dealing with real life struggles,” he explained. The Joker Origins project, as opposed to every other nearly every other film to every feature the character, will be produced on a modest $50 million budget — another reason the actor was keen to sign on. That, combined with the character study he and Phillips hope to make position the film in a way Phoenix says is “unique.”
“I wouldn’t quite classify this as like any genre,” said. “I wouldn’t say it’s a superhero movie, or a studio movie.”
The film is currently slated to go into production in the fall, suggesting a 2019 release.
