Todd Phillips’ ‘Joker’ will make its debut at the Toronto International Film Festival next weekend. In addition to unleashing the new trailer, Warner Brothers has released a trio of posters for the film, which stars Joaquin Phoenix as Arthur Fleck, a struggling comedian/clown inspired by DC Comics’ supervillain, The Joker.
Phillips has been very upfront with the fact that his movie isn’t a literal adaptation of the comic books, and is more of a gritty psychological thriller/crime drama. In the movie, it appears that after a life of being dogged, Arthur snaps and becomes the Joker. In the trailer he is seen dancing with wild abandon. One of these posters captures a moment from that scene, with Phoenix dancing at the top of a set of outdoor stairs.
You can see that below:
The other two posters show Phoenix up close, wearing the Joker makeup. In a departure from the comics, this Joker doesn’t fall into a vat of acid that turns his skin white and his hair green.
In the first, Phoenix’s glassy-eyed stare captures his detachment from reality.
In the trailer and in previously released photos, Phoenix is shown using his fingers to force a massive smile. In the comics, The Joker has a rictus– a permanent disfigurement that forces him to smile at all times.
This new poster portrays Phoenix and his fake smile. The dollop of blue paint dripping down his cheek implies tears, conveying the tragic nature of the character and the film.
There is already buzz that Phoenix’s performance is Oscar-worthy. It’s even possible the film itself could wind up in the big categories including Best Picture.
The film certainly has a prestigious cast, including Zazie Beetz, Bryan Callen, Brett Cullen, Frances Conroy, Robert De Niro, Brian Tyree Henry, Douglas Hodge, Marc Maron, and Shea Whigham.
‘Joker’ will be released in theaters on October 4.
Source: Heroic Hollywood
