Arthur Fleck’s Joker Look Revealed In New Joker Promo
by Erik Amaya
Now this is how you control the narrative.
Warner Bros. Pictures recently released a first-look video of star Joker star Joaquin Phoenix in full Joker make-up:
Repost from #toddphillips1:
Camera test (w/ sound). Joker. pic.twitter.com/R9W2QqKwNS— Warner Bros. Pictures (@wbpictures) September 21, 2018
You might also notice a costume heavily inspired by Cesar Romero’s Joker in Batman ’66. Other influences on display include the rough-and-tumble look of The Dark Knight‘s Joker (Heath Ledger) and even the clown mask he gave to his cadre of bank robbers earlier in the film.
Which, to be honest, is much more effective remix than Jared Leto’s Juggalo Joker in Suicide Squad.
But no matter your opinion of the look, releasing imagery of it so early in the production was a shrewd play on Warner Bros.’ part. Instead of the poorly-received set-pics which plagued Shazam!, Captain Marvel and Titans, the studio directed exactly how and when potential filmgoers first saw the latest interpretation of the character. It suggests a level of control and sophistication often lacking in their pre-release publicity. Also, projecting the Joker onto a camera test of Phoenix as Fleck while The Guess Who’s “Laughing” plays suggests more of the film’s mood. All and all, it is a splendid debut.
Honestly, I’m surprised how much I like this and I’m inclined to dismiss anything connected to Phoenix.
Joker opens on October 4th, 2019.