Joaquin Phoenix wouldn't have taken on the Joker if there wasn’t at least a smidgen of inner-torment involved. Safe to say, judging by these new plot details, his Clown Prince will amount to a lot more than a few emo tattoos, a grating laugh and some Camden High Street leathers.
Warner Bros has released a plot synopsis for the movie which, while not exactly detailed, has set Batman fans’ minds a-whirling.
The official Warner Bros. 2019 editorial guide for the film reads:
“Joker centers around the iconic arch-nemesis and is an original, standalone story not seen before on the big screen.
“The exploration of Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix), a man disregarded by society, is not only a gritty character study, but also a broader cautionary tale.”
The movie, directed by The Hangover’s Todd Phillips, will standalone from the wider DC cinematic universe. Despite its relatively small budget, Robert De Niro, Frances Conroy (American Horror Story), Zazie Beetz (Deadpool 2) and Marc Maron have signed on to the film.
Joker will reach cinemas on 4 October, 2019.
Nick Pope is the Site Director of Esquire, overseeing digital strategy for the brand.
