[55] While the Joker had appeared in several films before, Phillips thought it was possible to produce a new story featuring the character. Arthur intercepts a letter written by Penny to Thomas, alleging that he is Thomas's illegitimate son, and berates his mother for hiding the truth. [144] During its second weekend, the film made an additional $125.7 million worldwide,[150] and $77.9 million in its third. 1 With $36M; 'Joker' Snags Magical $29M", "Box Office: 'Joker' to Become Top-Grossing R-Rated Pic of All Time", "Joker: Jim Lee Reviews Todd Phillips' DC Film", "Joker review – an ace turn from Joaquin Phoenix", "Joker review – Joaquin Phoenix's villain has last laugh in twisted tale", "Joker Review: An Insane Masterpiece Based on DC Comics Villain", "Joker Movie Review & Film Summary (2019)", "Analysing 'Joker': Only ashes remain as Joaquin Phoenix takes off to glory", "Joker Wants to Be a Movie About the Emptiness of Our Culture. [18][71] Frances McDormand declined an offer to portray the mother of the Joker, and Frances Conroy was cast. En route to the studio, Arthur is pursued by the two detectives onto a train filled with clown protesters. Arrested for murder, Jane Charlotte, says she's a member of the 'Bad Monkeys', a secret organization that fights evil, and lands in the prison's psychiatric wing where she plots her next move. "[167] Meanwhile, NPR's Glen Weldon thought the film lacked innovation and said its sympathetic take on the Joker was "wildly unconvincing and mundanely uninteresting." [3] Masters reported that Warner Bros. was reluctant to let Joker move forward, and gave it a small budget in an effort to dissuade Phillips. [45] Phoenix ruled out the Joker for his "character study" idea and tried to think of a different one. [12] He was attracted to the Joker because he did not think there was a definitive portrayal of the character, which he knew would provide considerable creative freedom. "[140] Three weeks prior to its release, official industry tracking projected the film would debut to $65–80 million, with some estimates going as high as $90 million. grantss. [112] Filmmaker Kevin Smith commended the trailer, stating he thought the film "would still work even if [DC Comics] didn't exist" and praising its uniqueness. "[121] However, according to Deadline Hollywood, the FBI and the United States Department of Homeland Security found no credible threats surrounding the release of the film. The killings are condemned by billionaire mayoral candidate Thomas Wayne, who calls those envious of more successful people "clowns". Funding cuts shutter the social service program, leaving Arthur without his medication. [111], On August 25, 2019, Phillips released six brief teasers that contained flashes of writing, revealing the second trailer would be released on August 28. Similarly, Phillips commented that there were "a zillion hurdles" during the year-long writing process due to the visibility of the character. ", "Joker: Mark Hamill Weighs in on Joaquin Phoenix's Chilling Trailer", "We Just Got Our First Look at Footage of Joaquin Phoenix in DC's Joker", "Joker Trailer Clocks Up Over 8 Million Views in a few hours", "Joaquin Phoenix's Joker Movie Releases New Teasers, Reveals Trailer Release Date", "Kevin Smith Praises the New Joker Trailer", "Joaquin Phoenix's Joker film praised as a dark and twisted "masterpiece" by critics as first reactions land", "Joker Is Powerful, Confused And Provocative, Just Like The Character", "Trump hosts White House screening of 'Joker, "JOKER Rushed Back to Theaters After Double-Digit Oscar Nominations", "U.S. Military Issues Warning to Troops About Incel Violence at Joker Screenings [Updated]", "Joaquin Phoenix walked out of an interview after a critic asked him whether 'Joker' would inspire mass shooters", "Warner Bros. says the 'Joker' team won't give interviews at its red carpet premiere", "Joker becomes first R-rated movie to gross $1 billion worldwide", "Joker is now the most profitable comic book movie of all time", "Box Office: How 'Joker' Became Insanely Profitable", "New Box Office Tracking Suggests Joker Could Close in on $100M Opening Weekend", "Long Range Forecast: Terminator: Dark Fate, Plus a Big Joker Update", "Box Office: Joker Scores $55 Million Second Weekend", "Box Office: 'Maleficent 2' Stumbles to No. Based on the true story of Jordan Belfort, from his rise to a wealthy stock-broker living the high life to his fall involving crime, corruption and the federal government. [11] Phoenix had previously declined to act in the Marvel Cinematic Universe because he would have been required to reprise a role, such as the Hulk or Doctor Strange, in multiple films. Arthur's idol, popular talk show host Murray Franklin, mocks Arthur by showing clips from the comedy routine on his show. "[156] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale, while those at PostTrak gave it an overall positive score of 84% (with an average 4 out of 5 stars) and a 60% "definite recommend. [210] Phillips also confirmed that the upcoming film The Batman would not be set in the same continuity as Joker. He then embarks on a downward spiral of revolution and bloody crime. Arthur Fleck works as a clown and is an aspiring stand-up comic. Instead, It's a Prime Example of It", "Joker review – the most disappointing film of the year", "Joker Actor Mark Hamill Shares His Take On Joaquin Phoenix's Movie", "Michael Moore Calls 'Joker' a Masterpiece: 'The Greater Danger to Society May Be If You Don't See This Movie, "Thanos Snaps Back: Josh Brolin Defends Joker Movie in Fiery Post", "Jessica Chastain says Joaquin Phoenix's 'Joker' performance is one of the 'greatest pieces of acting' she's ever seen", "The World According to Phoebe Waller-Bridge", "2020 BAFTA Awards: Full winners list of the 73rd annual British Academy Film Awards", "Golden Globes 2020: The full winners list", "AFI Awards: Top Films and TV Shows Include 'Joker,' 'Farewell,' 'Succession,' 'Watchmen, "2020 Writers Guild Awards Screenplay Nominations Announced", "PGA Awards: '1917' Named Outstanding Motion Picture", "Make-Up & Hairstylists Awards: 'Bombshell', 'Fosse/Verdon', 'SNL' Lead Winners", "Venice: Todd Phillips' 'Joker' Wins Golden Lion, Roman Polanski Wins Silver Lion", "Joker: Your Biggest Questions Answered (Spoiler-Free)", "The brilliant new Joker movie offers an uncomfortable message about mass shooters", "Why Joker Is Sparking a Backlash Over Its Portrayal of Incel Violence", "From 'Joker' Controversy to Oscar Contenders, 5 Burning Questions at the Toronto Film Festival", "Joker Movie is Already Stirring Controversy", "Joker Review: Joaquin Phoenix Towers in a Deeply Troubling Origin Story — Todd Phillips's bracing, disturbing film has an undeniable impact—for good and bad", "Burning It All Down, Nihilism, and the Joker", "The Joke's on You: Why Leviathan Needs Joker", "Leading Neurocriminologist Considers Joker "a Great Educational Tool, "As a psychiatrist, I was blown away by the latest Joker", "Analyzing 'Joker' with a Psychiatrist Who Treats People Like the Joker", "Joker isn't an ode to the far right – it's a warning against austerity", "Italia 5 stelle, Beppe Grillo apre il suo intervento a Napoli truccato da Joker: "Non faccio piani, sono il caos, "From Beirut to Hong Kong, the face of the Joker is appearing in demonstrations", "In protests around the world, one image stands out: The Joker", "French firefighters set themselves alight and start fighting against police", "Meme tourism has turned the world into the seventh circle of selfie hell", "The Dance of Freedom. [66] Warner Bros. described the film as "an exploration of a man disregarded by society [that] is not only a gritty character study, but also a broader cautionary tale. "[188], Some writers have expressed concern that Joker's sympathetic portrayal of a homicidal maniac could inspire real-world violence. [15], Following the disappointing critical and financial performance of Justice League (2017), in January 2018 Walter Hamada replaced Jon Berg as the head of DC-based film production at Warner Bros.[62] Hamada sorted through the various DC films in development, canceling some while advancing work on others; the Joker film was set to begin filming in late 2018 with a small budget of $55 million. 104 wins & 218 nominations. [28], Principal photography commenced in September 2018 in New York City,[b] under the working title Romeo. What did Arthur mean when he said "They couldn't carry a tune to save their lives"? [46] During the premiere, Phillips realized "War Dogs wasn't going to set the world on fire and I was thinking, 'What do people really want to see? "[170] Documentary filmmaker Michael Moore called Joker a "cinematic masterpiece" and said it was a "danger to society" if people did not see it. Remarkable Direction, Cinematography, Music and the Acting. [55] According to producer Emma Tillinger Koskoff, it took some time to get approval for the script from Warner Bros., partly because of concerns over the content.