Todd Phillips' Joker movie has been coming together very quickly over the last few months, but it still remains mostly a mystery. It's not entirely clear how the movie will relate to DC Comics source material, and we have zero clue how Batman will factor into the whole thing. We are also still eagerly awaiting our first look at Joaquin Phoenix in his full Clown Prince Of Crime makeup - but for now we'll make due with the following pre-transformation image:
Todd Phillips himself posted this image to his personal Instagram account - and you'll notice that this goes much further than just revealing what The Joker looks like before he becomes The Joker. We also have now learned what the character's name will be, as the caption simply reads "Arthur." There were unsubstantiated rumors flying around suggesting that the character's name would be the same as Jack Nicholson's in Tim Burton's Batman - Jack Napier - though that has clearly now been debunked.
Based on a script written by Todd Phillips and Scott Silver (8 Mile, The Fighter), Joker is a film set apart from what has been established in the DC Extended Universe (where the character is played by Jared Leto), and it will exist as its own separate story unconnected from any existing continuity. The movie will work to sculpt an origin for the famous villain, beginning with him trying to make it as a comedian living in New York City. The finer details of the story have not yet been revealed, though we've learned about a few important individuals in his life, including a talk show host (Robert De Niro), the booking agent for said talk show host (Marc Maron), his mother (Frances Conroy), and a single mother who lives in his neighborhood (Zazie Beetz). It's been said that the primary inspirations for the project are the Martin Scorsese features Taxi Driver and The King Of Comedy, and while there are heavy expectations that plot will see Arthur's skin go white and hair go green, we have no idea how that will go down just yet.
Joker is currently in production in New York, and will be one of three DC features hitting theaters in 2019, alongside David F. Sandberg's Shazam! and Patty Jenkins Wonder Woman 1984. The finished product is currently scheduled for wide release on October 4, 2019 - and we expect to still hear a whole lot more about it in the upcoming weeks and months, so be sure to keep checking in here on CinemaBlend for all of the latest updates and news about the film.
