Director Todd Phillips has unveiled the first look of Joaquin Phoenix as the Joker in the upcoming standalone origin film about the iconic Batman villain.
The photo depicts Phoenix wearing a green jacket and with long hair, but without the Joker’s trademark makeup. The photo is captioned “Arthur,” seemingly confirming rumors that the character’s real name is Arthur Fleck.
Titled simply Joker and due for release in October 4th, 2019, the film is directed by Phillips (The Hangover, War Dogs). Phillips teamed up with Scott Silver (8 Mile) to write a script described as an “exploration of a man disregarded by society [that] is not only a gritty character study, but also a broader cautionary tale.”
As such, the film is meant to be darker and more experimental in tone and content than previous DC comic book films. It also boasts a modest $55 million price tag, which is significantly lower than most other tentpole flicks in the genre.
Along with Phoenix, the film stars Zazie Beetz, who plays a single mother who catches the eye of the future Clown Prince of Crime, and Robert DeNiro, who is cast to play a talk show host who is somehow instrumental in the Joker’s origin.
Production began this month in New York.