We’re just a few days out from Joaquin Phoenix taking home the Oscar for Best Actor (and upsetting the dairy industry in the process), thanks to his work in Todd Phillips’ Joker. Following the big win, Phillips himself took to social media to share a look at the final day of shooting what became both a popular and notable film.
The last day on any movie or TV set is generally emotional, but these images, in particular the first one, are among the most powerful and heartbreaking I’ve seen in recent memory. The first features Joaquin Phoenix hugging hugging director Todd Phillips.
Later images also show us Joaquin Phoenix acting as Arthur Dent in Joker and traipsing around the halls of the mental asylum set with the director. In addition, there’s a kind of fun one at the end where the actor and director are hanging out and relaxing while Phoenix is still wearing handcuffs for his character (and smoking a cigarette).
As part of the post, Todd Phillips touched on the wild ride that Joker has had since filming, which is rather astonishing. The movie was an R-rated DC and Warner Bros. project that was specifically made on a $55 million budget so that it wouldn't fall into the trap of losing money. It highly exceeded those expectations, joining several other DC movies in the billion dollar club, and netting an incredible profit while it did so. Any way that you look at it Joker has been a big success, both for Warner Bros. and R-rated movies in general.
Then came the accolades for Todd Phillips, Joaquin Phoenix and the movie itself. While it's Phoenix's awards that have been the major winners, Joker saw plenty of Best Picture and Best Director nods, along with nods in categories like Best Score and Costume Design as well. It's been a contender and a whirlwind year for the whole team involved with the movie and it's scored some big wins as well.
But now the lights have dimmed on the Oscars stage and people have started looking away from awards contenders and more towards the big 2020 movie releases coming over the next several months. Warner Bros. has already released its DC follow-up with Cathy Yan's Bird of Prey and is prepping for a large slate of DC movies to come. Joker has had its moment in the gray fog of Gotham City and now that moment has passed, but it's still worth looking back on the filming of the movie and remembering the whirlwind that came out of it.
Joker is now available on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital so you can get your fix anytime. Or check out other movies you should see if you totally want to ruin your day.
