Phillips conceivedJoker in 2016 and wrote the script with Silver throughout 2017. The two were inspired by 1970s character studies and the films ofMartin Scorsese, particularlyTaxi Driver (1976) andThe King of Comedy (1982); Scorsese was initially attached to the project as a producer. The film loosely adapts plot elements fromBatman: The Killing Joke (1988) andThe Dark Knight Returns (1986), but Phillips and Silver otherwise did not look to specific comics for inspiration, nor did they wish for it to be connected to any priorBatman film continuity. Phoenix became attached in February 2018 and was cast that July, while the majority of the cast signed on by August.Principal photography took place inNew York City,Jersey City andNewark, from September to December 2018.Joker is the first live-actiontheatricalBatman film to receive anR rating from theMotion Picture Association.[a]
In 1981, Arthur Fleck is a party clown and aspiring stand-up comedian who lives with his mother, Penny, in a crime- andrecession-riddenGotham City. He suffers from aneurological disorder that causes him to have random, uncontrollable laughing fits, requiring medication he depends on social services to obtain. After Arthur is attacked by street youths while on the job, his co-worker Randall gives him arevolver to defend himself. Arthur pursues a relationship with his neighbor, single mother Sophie Dumond, and invites her to see his routine at a comedy club.
Arthur accidentally drops his gun while performing at a children's hospital, leading to his firing. While riding home on the subway and still wearing his clown make-up, he is mocked and assaulted by three drunk businessmen fromWayne Investments. He fatally shoots two of them inself-defense andmurders the third as he attempts to flee. Their employer, billionaire mayoral candidateThomas Wayne, condemns the killings, but supporters begin sporting clown masks in Arthur's image. Budget cuts shut down the social services program, leaving Arthur without his medication.
Sophie attends Arthur's stand-up routine, which fails due to his disorder and his jokes falling flat. Arthur intercepts a letter from Penny to Thomas indicating that he is Thomas's illegitimate son, and berates his mother for hiding the truth of his parentage. He goes toWayne Manor, where he meets Thomas's young sonBruce, but flees after a scuffle with family butlerAlfred Pennyworth. Penny suffers a stroke after being questioned by two detectives investigating Arthur's involvement in the subway murders, and is hospitalized. Arthur's idol, popularlate-night talk show host Murray Franklin, presents clips of Arthur's failed performance on his show and mockingly calls him a "joker", much to Arthur's distress.
Arthur confronts Thomas at a movie theatre. Thomas denies being his father, claiming that Penny also is not his biological mother. Arthur visitsArkham State Hospital and reads Penny's file, which states she was a delusional narcissist who adopted Arthur while working as a housekeeper for the Waynes. She developed an imaginary intimate relationship with Thomas, which included Arthur being their biological son. At the same time, Penny raised Arthur with a boyfriend who physically and sexually abused them, leading to his neurological disorder. A distraught Arthur enters Sophie's apartment unannounced. Frightened, she kindly asks him to leave, revealing their relationship to be a figment of Arthur's imagination. The following day, Arthur smothers Penny with a pillow at the hospital.
After being invited onto Murray's show, Arthur is visited by Randall and another ex-colleague, Gary. Arthur fatally stabs and beats Randall, but spares Gary for being kind to him in the past. The detectives investigating Arthur pursue him onto a train filled with clown protesters. Arthur incites a brawl, during which one detective accidentally shoots and kills a protester. The other protesters, in turn, beat the detectives while Arthur escapes.
At the studio, Arthur asks Murray to introduce him as "Joker", a reference to his earlier mockery. As the show broadcasts live, Arthur tells morbid jokes, confesses to the subway murders, rants about societal neglect of the downtrodden, and berates Murray for ridiculing him. After a final joke, Arthur fatally shoots Murray in the head. Arthur is arrested, and riots erupt across the city. Looters in an ambulance crash into the police car carrying Arthur and free him. Meanwhile, one rioter corners the Wayne family in an alley andmurders Thomas and his wife Martha in front of Bruce. Arthur stands atop the police car, dances to the cheers of the crowd, and smears the blood on his face into a smile.
Sometime later at Arkham, Arthur laughs to himself about a joke during a session with his new therapist. He declines telling it to her, claiming she would not understand it. He leaves behind a trail of bloodied shoeprints as an orderly chases him down.
Joaquin Phoenix asArthur Fleck / Joker: A mentally ill, impoverished party clown and stand-up comedian disregarded by society,[4] whose history of abuse causes him to become anihilistic criminal with a clown-inspired persona.[5] Phoenix had been interested in a low-budget "character study" of a comic book character and said the film "feels unique, it is its own world in some ways and maybe [...] It might as well be the thing that scares you the most".[6] Phoenix lost 52 pounds (23 kg) for his role in the film.[7][8][9]
Robert De Niro as Maurice "Murray" Franklin:[10] A talk show host who plays a role in Arthur's downfall.[11] De Niro said his role inJoker payshomage to his character fromThe King of Comedy (1982), Rupert Pupkin, who is a comedian obsessed with a talk-show host.[10]
Zazie Beetz as Sophie Dumond:[12] A cynical single mother and Arthur's "love interest".[12][13] Beetz, a huge fan of Phoenix, said that it was an honor to costar with him[14] and that she learned a lot working with him on set.[15]
Carrie Louise Putrello asMartha Wayne, Thomas's wife, although the character has no dialogue (she only screams during Thomas' murder) and is never referred to by name.[22]
Between 2014 and 2015,Joaquin Phoenix expressed interest to his agent in acting in a low-budget "character study" type of film about acomic book villain, likeDC Comics character theJoker,[6] before PhillipspitchedJoker in 2016.[37] Phoenix had previously declined to act in theMarvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) because he would have been required to reprise a role, such asBruce Banner / Hulk (initially portrayed byEdward Norton before he was recast byMark Ruffalo) orStephen Strange / Doctor Strange (ultimately portrayed byBenedict Cumberbatch), in multiple films.[38] Phoenix ruled out the Joker for his "character study" idea and tried to think of a different one. "I thought, 'You can't do the Joker, because, you know, it's just you can't do that character, it's just been done'". Phoenix's agent suggested setting up an exploratory meeting withWarner Bros., but he declined and let go of the idea.[6] Similarly,Todd Phillips had been offered to direct comic-based films a number of times, but declined because he thought they were "loud" and did not interest him. According to Phillips,Joker spawned from his idea to create a different, more grounded comic book film.[39] 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.[40]
Phillips pitched the idea forJoker to Warner Bros. after his filmWar Dogs premiered in August 2016.[39] Prior toWar Dogs, Phillips was mostly known for hiscomedy films, such asRoad Trip (2000),Old School (2003) andThe Hangover (2009);War Dogs marked a venture into more unsettling territory.[41] 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?'"[39] In addition, he found that it was difficult to make comedy films in the "woke culture", throughout opposition of "30 million people onTwitter". He finally thought that "How do I do something irreverent, but fuck comedy? Oh I know, let's take the comic book movie universe and turn it on its head with this".[42] He proposed thatDC Films differentiate its slate from the competingMarvel Studios' by producing low-budget,standalone films.[43][44] After the successful release ofWonder Woman (2017), DC Films decided to deemphasize theshared nature of its DC-based film franchise, theDC Extended Universe (DCEU).[45] In August 2017, Warner Bros. and DC Films revealed plans for the film, with Phillips directing and co-writing withScott Silver andMartin Scorsese set to co-produce with Phillips.[46] According to Tatiana Siegel ofThe Hollywood Reporter, Scorsese considered directingJoker before Phillips was chosen, though a Warner Bros. source said he only became involved because the film needed aNew York City-based producer.[47]
According to Kim Masters and Borys Kit ofThe Hollywood Reporter,Jared Leto, who portrayed theJoker in the DCEU, was displeased by the existence of a project separate from his interpretation.[48][49] In October 2019, Masters reported that Leto "felt 'alienated and upset'" when he learned that Warner Bros.—which had promised hima standalone DCEU Joker film—let Phillips proceed withJoker, going as far as to ask his music managerIrving Azoff to get the project canceled. Masters added that Leto's irritation was what caused him to end his association withCreative Artists Agency (CAA), as he believed "his agents should have told him about the Phillips project earlier and fought harder for his version of Joker". However, sources associated with Leto deny that he attempted to getJoker canceled and left CAA because of it.[49]
Warner Bros. pushed for Phillips to castLeonardo DiCaprio as the Joker,[41] hoping to use hisfrequent collaborator Scorsese's involvement to attract him.[48] However, Phillips said that Phoenix was the only actor he considered,[50] and that he and Silver wrote the script with Phoenix in mind, "The goal was never to introduce Joaquin Phoenix into the comic book movie universe. The goal was to introduce comic book movies into the Joaquin Phoenix universe".[51] Phoenix said when he learned of the film, he became excited because it was the kind he was looking to make, describing it as unique and stating it did not feel like a typical "studio movie".[6] It took him some time to commit to the role, as it intimidated him and he said "oftentimes, in these movies, we have these simplified, reductive archetypes and that allows for the audience to be distant from the character, just like we would do in real life, where it's easy to label somebody as evil and therefore say, 'Well, I'm not that.'"[51]
It was a yearlong process from when we finished the script just to get the new people on board with this vision, because I pitched it to an entirely different team than made it. There were emails about: 'You realize we sell Joker pajamas atTarget.' There were a zillion hurdles, and you just sort of had to navigate those one at a time [...] At the time, I would curse them in my head every day. But then I have to put it in perspective and go, 'They're pretty bold that they did this.'
Phillips and Silver wroteJoker throughout 2017 and the writing process took about a year.[52] According to producerEmma Tillinger Koskoff, it took some time to get approval for the script from Warner Bros., partly because of concerns over the content. Similarly, Phillips commented that there were "a zillion hurdles" during the year-long writing process due to the visibility of the character.[39] Phillips said that while the script's themes may reflect modern society, the film was not intended to be political.[52] He also noted thatJoker is a story about childtrauma and mental illness.[53][54] In their script, Phillips talked about how difficult it is for patients to reveal their diagnoses, referring to a line from the film: "The worst part of having a mental illness is that people expect you to behave as if you don't".[54]
The script draws inspiration from Scorsese films such asTaxi Driver (1976),Raging Bull (1980) andThe King of Comedy (1982), as well as Phillips'Hangover Trilogy.[41][46][55] Other films Phillips has cited as inspiration include character studies released in the 1970s—such asSerpico (1973) andOne Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)—the silent filmThe Man Who Laughs (1928) and severalmusicals. Phillips said that aside from the tone, he did not considerJoker that different from his previous work, such as hisHangover films.[52] The film's premise was inspired byAlan Moore andBrian Bolland's graphic novelBatman: The Killing Joke (1988), which depicts the Joker as a failed stand-up comedian,[39] while the climactic talk show scene was inspired by a similar scene inFrank Miller'sThe Dark Knight Returns (1986).[56] However, Phillips said the film does not "follow anything from the comic books... That's what was interesting to me. We're not even doing Joker, but the story of becoming Joker".[57] Phillips later clarified that he meant they did not look to a specific comic for inspiration, but rather "picked and chose what we liked" from the character's history.[58] Having grown up in New York, Phillips also drew inspiration from life in New York City during the early 1980s.[59] The Subway shooting scene and its aftermath were inspired by the1984 New York City Subway shooting,[59][60] while Arthur Fleck is partially based on the shooting's perpetrator, Bernhard Goetz.[60][59]
Phillips and Silver found the most common Jokerorigin story, in which the character is disfigured after falling into a vat of acid, too unrealistic.[39] Instead, they used certain elements of the Joker lore to produce an original story,[61] which Phillips wanted to feel as authentic as possible.[39] Because the Joker does not have a definitive origin story in the comics, Phillips and Silver were given considerable creative freedom and "pushed each other every day to come up with something totally insane".[52] While the Joker had appeared in several films before, Phillips thought it was possible to produce a new story featuring the character. "It's just another interpretation, like people do interpretations ofMacbeth (1606)", he toldThe New York Times.[50] However, they did try to retain the ambiguous "multiple choice" nature of the Joker's past by positioning the character as anunreliable narrator—with entire storylines simply being his delusions[40]—and left what mental illnesses he suffers from unclear.[41] As such, Phillips said the entire film is open to interpretation.[40]
When a draft of the film's script, written in April 2018, was leaked and spread on the internet, Phillips stated that it was an old version from six months before filming began.[62] Phillips also declined to take legal action against the spread of the script, stating that he liked having an old version circulate.[63]
Following the disappointing critical and financial performance ofJustice League (2017), in January 2018Walter Hamada replacedJon Berg as the head of DC-based film production at Warner Bros.[65] Hamada sorted through the various DC films in development, canceling some while advancing work on others; the film was set to begin filming in late 2018 with a small budget of $55 million.[66] Kim Masters ofThe Hollywood Reporter said Warner Bros. was reluctant to letJoker move forward and gave it a small budget in an effort to dissuade Phillips.[49] Phillips said that Hamada did not understand what he was trying to do.[67] By June,Robert De Niro was under consideration for a supporting role in the film.[68] The deal with Phoenix was finalized in July 2018,[69] after four months of persuasion from Phillips.[39] Immediately afterwards,[69] Warner Bros. officiallygreen-lit the film,[70] titled itJoker and gave it an October 4, 2019, release date.[71] 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 broadercautionary tale".[72]
Scorsese's longtime associate Koskoff joined to produce,[73][74] although Scorsese left his producing duties due to other obligations.[73] Scorsese considered serving as an executive producer, but was preoccupied with his filmThe Irishman (2019), which also starred De Niro.[39] It was also confirmed that the film would have no effect on Leto's Joker and would be the first in a new series of DC films unrelated to the DCEU.[75][66] In July,Zazie Beetz was cast in a supporting role and De Niro entered negotiations in August.[11][13]Frances McDormand declined an offer to portray the mother of the Joker andFrances Conroy was cast.[76][16] At the end of July,Marc Maron andBryan Callen joined the cast.[30][29][77]Alec Baldwin was cast as Thomas Wayne on August 27, but dropped out two days later due to scheduling conflicts.[21] Baldwin also noted the character's description as a reason for his departure, which called Thomas Wayne "a cheesy and tanned businessman who is more in the mold of a 1980sDonald Trump".[78]
According to Beetz, Phillips rewrote the entire script during production; because Phoenix lost so much weight for the film, there would not be an opportunity forreshoots. She recalled, "we would go into Todd's trailer and write the scene for the night and then do it. During hair and makeup we'd memorize those lines and then do them and then we'd reshoot that three weeks later".[87] Phillips recalled Phoenix sometimes walked off-set during filming because he lost self-control and needed to compose himself—to the confusion of other actors, who felt they had done something wrong. De Niro was one of the few Phoenix never walked out on and De Niro said he was "very intense in what he was doing, as it should be, as he should be".[88]
Filming inJersey City started on September 30 and shut downNewark Avenue, while filming in November, starting on November 9, shut downKennedy Boulevard. Filming inNewark began on October 13 and lasted until October 16.[81] Shortly before the Newark filming,SAG-AFTRA received a complaint thatextras were locked insubway cars for more than three hours during filming in Brooklyn, a break violation. The issue was quickly resolved after a representative visited the set.[89] That month,Dante Pereira-Olson joined the cast as a young Bruce Wayne.[23] Whigham said towards the end of October the film was in "the middle" of production, adding that it was an "intense" and "incredible" experience.[28] By mid-November, filming had moved back to New York.[90] Filmingwrapped on December 3, 2018,[91] with Phillips posting a picture on hisInstagram feed later in the month to commemorate the occasion.[92]
InThe Hollywood Reporter interview,Emma Tillinger Koskoff said that most stressful filming was the "stair dance" scene on what is now colloquially known as theJoker Stairs; because there were no laws on paparazzi inNew York City, filming was disrupted by them.[93] TheSouth Bronx stairs used for the biographical crime filmAmerican Gangster (2007) were originally to be used for these scenes, according toThe New York Times, but were deemed too repaved and beautified to be aesthetically acceptable for the film's tone.[94] Initially, Lawrence Sher and Phillips had wanted to film on 65mm film for the70mm format, but Warner Bros. rejected this due to cost, and the film was subsequently shot withArri Alexa 65 digital cameras. Warner Bros. did however end up givingJoker a limited theatrical release in converted 70mm and 35mm presentations.[95]
Phillips confirmed he was in the process of editingJoker in March 2019.[96] AtCinemaCon the following month, he stated the film was "still taking shape" and was difficult to discuss, as he hoped to maintain secrecy.[97] Phillips also denied most reports surrounding the film, which he felt was because it is "an origin story about a character that doesn't have a definitive origin".[98] Brian Tyree Henry was also confirmed to have a role in the film.[31] The visual effects were provided byScanline VFX and Shade VFX and supervised by Matthew Giampa and Bryan Godwin, with Erwin Rivera serving as the overall supervisor.[99]
One scene that was cut from the film depicted Sophie watching Arthur's appearance on Franklin's show. The scene was intended to show the audience that she is still alive (as the film otherwise implies that Arthur kills her), but Phillips decided it would disrupt the narrative, which is portrayed from Arthur's point of view.[100] In anotherdeleted scene, Arthur reveals his crimes to a co-worker; the scene was ultimately removed because it provided "too much information" in the form of exposition.[101] According to one source, the film's original script ended with Arthur carving himself aGlasgow smile in front of his crowd of supporters, but the idea got shot down by then-Warner Bros. executiveChristopher Nolan, who mandated that onlyHeath Ledger's version of theJoker from his filmThe Dark Knight (2008) should have a Glasgow smile.[102]
The film's final budget was $55–70 million, considered byThe Hollywood Reporter "a fraction" of the cost of a typical comic book-based film.[66][103] In comparison, the previous villain-centered DC film,Suicide Squad (2016), cost $175 million.[41] $25 million ofJoker's budget was covered by the Toronto-based financing company Creative Wealth Media, whileVillage Roadshow Pictures andBron Studios each contributed 25%.[104][103]Joker was also the first live-action theatrical film in theBatman film franchise to receive anR rating from theMotion Picture Association of America, officially for "strong bloody violence, disturbing behavior, language and brief sexual images".[105] In the United Kingdom, theBritish Board of Film Classification (BBFC) gave the film a 15 certificate for "strong bloody violence [and] language".[1]
Gotham City inJoker was set in the 1980s in a New York City esque Gotham, according to Todd Phillips, "to separate it, quite frankly, from the DC universe".[106] Mark Friedberg, the production designer of this film, said he established the filming location of Gotham Square inNewark as a film set because there was still poverty.[107] He wanted Gotham to look like a gritty city, as described inTaxi Driver (1976), so he named all structures and lines in this film and drew a specific map of Gotham city.[108] He displayed 1970s brightly coloredmuscle cars on the set, "conveying dissonance and being awful and beautiful at the same time". He also tried to describe Gotham as a decaying city through graffiti, garbage on the road and cracked sidewalks.[109][110] The VFX team added fictional buildings, changing the skyline of the city to give the sense that the city was pressing down on Arthur.[111]Lawrence Sher saidsodium-vapor lights were used in this film, representing Arthur's isolation and his more hopeful side.[112]
Arkham State Hospital is based onArkham Asylum.[36] Warner Bros. Korea explained that it is a more realistic name in the real world.[113] The exterior of Arkham State hospital was filmed atBrooklyn Army Terminal,[114] while the interior was pictured inMetropolitan Hospital Center ofHarlem.[115] Throughout the film, two walls are shown inside Arkham State Hospital; one is clearly white in the first and last scenes, the other is dirty yellow in the scene in which Arthur runs with a medical report. This difference was intended to make the audience confused and to question the possibility that Arthur had been in hospital the entire time.[36][113]
One of the most important inspirations for Arthur's behavior came from the Little Tramp inModern Times (1936), while his "ridiculous" movement was inspired byCharlie Chaplin.[36][111] Arthur's dance was influenced by that ofRay Bolger, and his gesture of making a smile from two fingers in his mouth was fromBuster Keaton.[42][116] In preparation, Phoenix ate a single sparse meal per day for 8 months, losing 52 pounds (24 kg) to look "wolf-like and malnourished and hungry",[39][117][8] and watched videos of people suffering frompathological laughter to refine his own laughter for the role.[118] He sought to portray a character whom audiences could not relate to and did not look to previous Joker actors for inspiration; instead, he read a book about political assassinations so he could understand killers and their motivations.[5] Phillips identified Arthur's normal face as being his "real mask", while Joker served as his true personality.[119] He had also identified the genuine laugh occurring only in the last scene.[120] DirectorTodd Phillips said that he intentionally left it ambiguous as to whether Arthur becomes the Joker of traditionalBatman stories or inspires a separate character,[40] although Phoenix believes that Arthur is the former.[121][122]
Nicki Ledermann and Kay Georgiou, the makeup designer and hairstylist tried to show Arthur Fleck to "be handmade and realistic". Georgiou designated Arthur as a man with unwashed hair. Arthur's costumes, designed byMark Bridges, were matched to look "aged, overdyed and distressed" through wearing him with cheap polyester pants and an acrylic sweater. His color palette was inspired by the aesthetics of the 1980s: blue, maroon, brown, mauve and gray.[123] Bridges explained Arthur's costume color started from a "juvenile mode" and later changing to align with the tone of the film.[124] In the first scene, Arthur's "too small" hooded jacket and white socks emphasizes the childish concept, being a reflection of him living with his mother Penny, with her calling him "my little boy",[123] and the influence ofCharlie Chaplin.[125] However, he wore a charcoal sweater during the scene in which he is interviewed by the social worker and finally wore a "scab-colored knit top" in Arkham State Hospital.[124] A line depicting his old suit for many years was interpreted a mustard-toned vest and a patterned bottle-green shirt.[123]
After turning Arthur into Joker, his design was also changed. His hair was dyed "broccoli" green and he wore a suit similar to the one in the originalBatman series.[123][124] However, the Joker suit in this film had different colors compared to previous films (purple suit with a green or yellow shirt). Mark Bridges noted that it was result of Phillips' intention to not want to be "connected to anything else". Initially, the color of the suit in the script was set toterracotta, but Bridges changed this to red to give "more expressive" emotion. Additionally, his suit colors (green, yellow, purple and red) were contrasted with those of his antagonists, including Thomas Wayne, giving them to gray and blue like Batman. Clown makeup was drawn with a classic, antique feel, with darker colors and tones and menacing eyebrows. Due to copyright laws stating that no two clowns can look alike, Ledermann faced a challenge.[123]
In August 2018,Hildur Guðnadóttir was hired to compose the film's score.[126] Hildur began writing music after reading the script and meeting with Phillips, who "had a lot of strong ideas" about how he thought the score should sound. She worked on theJoker score alongside the score for the drama miniseriesChernobyl; Hildur toldThe Hindu's Divya-Kala Bhavani switching between the two was challenging because the scores were so different.[127]
Phillips promotedJoker by posting on set photos on his Instagram account.[133] On September 21, 2018, he released test footage of Phoenix in-costume as the Joker, with "Laughing" byThe Guess Who accompanying the footage.[134] At CinemaCon on April 2, 2019, Phillips unveiled the first trailer for the film,[31] which was released online the following day.[135] The trailer, prominently featuring the song "Smile" performed byJimmy Durante, generated positive responses, with some commentators comparing it toTaxi Driver andRequiem for a Dream (2000) and praising Phoenix's performance.[136][137] Writers described the trailer as dark and gritty,[138] with ComicBook.com's Jenna Anderson feeling it appeared more like apsychological thriller than a comic book film.[31] ActorMark Hamill, who hasvoiced the Joker since the cartoonBatman: The Animated Series (1992–1995), expressed enthusiasm onTwitter.[139] Conversely,io9's Germain Lussier said the trailer revealed too little and that it was too similar to photos Phillips had posted on Instagram. While he still believed it exhibited potential, Lussier overall thought the trailer was not "a home run".[140] The trailer received over eight million views in the first few hours of release.[141]
On August 25, 2019, Phillips released six brief teasers that contained flashes of writing, revealing the second trailer would be released on August 28.[142] FilmmakerKevin Smith commended the trailer, stating he thought the film "would still work even if [DC Comics] didn't exist" and praising its uniqueness.[143] Overall,Deadline Hollywood estimated that Warner Bros. spent $120 million on promotion and advertisements.[103]
After release in theaters, Warner Bros. used negative critics on this film for promotion.[144]
Joker had its world premiere at the76th Venice International Film Festival on August 31, 2019, where it received an eight-minutestanding ovation and won the Golden Lion award.[145][146] It also screened at theToronto International Film Festival on September 9, 2019.[147] The film was released theatrically by Warner Bros. Pictures on October 4, 2019, in the United States and a day earlier in Australia and several other international markets.[148][149] On November 16, 2019, it was screened at theWhite House for PresidentDonald Trump, who reportedly enjoyed the film.[150] Some theaters released this movie on 70mm film, by original intention of the movie's director.[95] Followingits nominations at various awards shows, the film was scheduled to be rereleased in theaters across North America, beginning on January 17, 2020.[151]
On September 18, 2019, theUnited States Army distributed an email warning service members of potential violence at theaters screening the film and noting the Joker character's popularity among theincel community. A separate memo revealed the Army received "credible" information from Texas law enforcement "regarding the targeting of an unknown movie theater during the release".[152] The film, forbidden to minors under 17 in the US, was feared to possibly encourage imitations of the criminal behaviors represented in the film in ordinary life.[153] However, according toDeadline Hollywood, theFBI and theUnited States Department of Homeland Security found no credible threats surrounding the release of the film.[154]
In an interview withTheWrap, Phillips expressed surprise at criticism of the film's dark tone, stating "it's because outrage is a commodity" and calling critics of the film "far left".[155] Phoenix walked out of an interview byThe Telegraph when asked if the film could inspire mass shooters. He later returned to finish the interview, but did not answer the question.[156][8] Following this, journalists were disinvited from the premiere atTCL Chinese Theatre, with only photographers being allowed to interact with the filmmakers and cast on the carpet. In a statement toVariety, Warner Bros. said that "A lot has been said aboutJoker and we just feel it's time for people to see the film".[157][158]
Joker grossed $335.5 million in the United States and Canada and $743.5 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $1.079 billion.[2][3] It is thesixth-highest-grossing film of 2019 and thesecond highest-grossing R-rated film of all time,[165][166] as well as the first and only R-rated film to pass the billion-dollar mark untilDeadpool & Wolverine in 2024.[167] In terms of budget-to-gross ratio,Joker is also the most profitable film based on a comic book,[168] due to its small budget and little decline in week-to-week grosses during its theatrical run, surpassing the record previously held byDeadpool (2016).[169]Deadline Hollywood estimated the film made a net profit of $437 million, when factoring together all expenses and revenues.[170]
In August 2019,Boxoffice Pro analyst Shawn Robbins wrote that he expectedJoker to gross $60–90 million during its opening weekend in North America.[171] Following the film's premiere,BoxOffice predictedJoker could open to $70–95 million domestically.[172] Later updating to $85–105 million, Robbins suggested it could become the first October release to open to over $100 million and surpass the record set byVenom (2018).[173] However,Comscore's senior media analyst Paul Dergarabedian thought the film would open closer to $50 million because it is not a "typical comic-book movie".[174] 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.[175] The week of its release, Atom Tickets announced pre-sale totals for the film were outpacing those ofVenom andIt Chapter Two ($91.1 million debut) and thatJoker was its second-best-selling R-rated film of 2019 behindJohn Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum.[176]
Joker opened in 4,374 theaters in North America and made $39.9 million on its first day of release, including $13.3 million from Thursday night previews, bestingVenom's respective October records.[103] The film also had the biggest October opening day of any film, beating outHalloween (2018).[177]It went on to breakVenom's record for having the biggest October opening weekend, finishing with a domestic total of $96.2 million. The film set career records for Phoenix, Phillips and De Niro and was the fourth-largest debut for an R-rated film of all time.[178] The latter record would cross overThe Matrix Reloaded (2003), staying behindDeadpool,Deadpool 2 (2018) andIt (2017).[179] It was also Warner Bros.' biggest domestic opening in two years.[180] In its second weekend, the film fell just 41.8% to $55.9 million, remaining in first and marking the best second-weekend October total (bestingGravity (2013)'s $43.1 million in 2013).[181] It made $29.2 million in its third weekend and $19.2 million in its fourth, finishing second behindMaleficent: Mistress of Evil both times.[182][183] After 155 days,Joker's American theatrical run wrapped up on March 5, 2020, with a final gross of $355.5 million, making it the fourth-highest domestic gross for an R-rated film, behindThe Passion of the Christ (2004),Deadpool andAmerican Sniper (2014).[184]
Worldwide, the film was projected to debut to around $155 million, including $75 million from 73 overseas territories.[185] It made $5.4 million from four countries on its first day and $18.7 million from 47 in its second, for a two-day total of $24.6 million. It went on to greatly exceed expectations, making $140.5 million from overseas territories and a total $234 million worldwide. Its largest markets were South Korea (a Warner Bros. record $16.3 million), the United Kingdom ($14.8 million), Mexico ($13.1 million) and Japan ($7 million).[186] With this, it became the biggest worldwide opening for an October film.[180] During its second weekend, the film made an additional $125.7 million worldwide,[187] and $77.9 million in its third.[188] By this point, industry analysts expectedJoker to become the highest-grossing R-rated film of all time, with some suggesting that it could finish its run with over $1 billion.[189] The film became the highest-grossing R-rated film in its fourth weekend, during which it grossed $47.8 million internationally,[190] and passed the billion-dollar mark about a month into its theatrical release.[167]
Onreview aggregatorRotten Tomatoes,Joker holds an approval rating of 68% based on 603 reviews, with an average rating of 7.3/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Joker gives its infamous central character a chillingly plausible origin story that serves as a brilliant showcase for its star – and a dark evolution for comics-inspired cinema."[191]Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 59 out of 100 based on 60 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.[192] Audiences polled byCinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale, while those atPostTrak gave it an overall positive score of 84% (with an average 4 out of 5 stars) and a 60% "definite recommend".[103]
Mark Kermode ofThe Observer rated the film 4 out of 5 stars, stating "Joker has an ace card in the form of Joaquin Phoenix's mesmerisingly physical portrayal of a man who would be king".[193] Writing forIGN, Jim Vejvoda gaveJoker a perfect score, saying that the film "would work just as well as an engrossing character study without any of its DC Comics trappings; that it just so happens to be a brilliantBatman-universe movie is icing on the Batfan cake". He found it a powerful and unsettling allegory of contemporary neglect and violence and described Phoenix's performance as the Joker as engrossing and "Oscar-worthy".[194] Similarly, Xan Brooks ofThe Observer—who also gave the film a perfect score—called it "gloriously daring and explosive" and appreciated how Phillips used elements from Scorsese films to create an original story.[195]Variety'sOwen Gleiberman wrote, "Phoenix is astonishing as a mentally ill geek who becomes the killer-clown Joker in Todd Phillips' neo-Taxi Driver knockout: the rare comic-book movie that expresses what's happening in the real world".[196]
ComicBook.com's Brandon Davis acclaimedJoker as a groundbreaking comic book adaptation that he found scarier than most 2019horror films. Davis compared it favorably to the 2008Batman filmThe Dark Knight, praised the cinematography and performances and called it a film that needed to be seen to be believed.[197]Deadline Hollywood's Pete Hammond believes the film redefines the Joker and is "impossible to shake off". Hammond also praised the story and performances and summarized the film as "a bravura piece of filmmaking that speaks to the world we are actually living in today in ways that few movies do".[198]Peter Travers ofRolling Stone said he was lost for words in describing Phoenix's performance, calling the film "gut-wrenching" and "simply stupendous".[199]
David Ehrlich ofIndieWire was more mixed and gave the film a "C+". He felt that while "Joker is the boldest and most exciting superhero movie sinceThe Dark Knight", it was "also incendiary, confused and potentially toxic". Ehrlich thought that the film would make DC fans happy and praised Phoenix's performance, but criticized Phillips' direction and the lack of originality.[200] A critical review came from Glenn Kenny ofRogerEbert.com, who gave the film two stars out of four. Though he praised the performances and thought the story worked, Kenny criticized the social commentary and Phillips' direction, finding the film too derivative and believing its focus was "less in entertainment than in generating self-importance".[201] In an analysis of the character Joker,Onmanorama's Sajesh Mohan wrote that the movie was cliché-ridden, the only original part being Joaquin Phoenix's acting. "The movie, with great pain and in detail, explains how Arthur Fleck turns into Joker dejected by the way the world treats him. Thanks to Phillips and Silver, Phoenix was able to bring out the king among the Jokers", the analysis read.[202]
Stephanie Zacharek ofTime, in a negative review, labeled Phoenix's performance over-the-top and felt that while Phillips tried to "[give] us a movie all about the emptiness of our culture ... he's just offering a prime example of it". She argued the plot was nonexistent, "dark only in a stupidly adolescent way" and "stuffed with phony philosophy".[203] Meanwhile,NPR'sGlen Weldon thought the film lacked innovation and said its sympathetic take on the Joker was "wildly unconvincing and mundanely uninteresting". Weldon also describedJoker as trying too hard to deviate from the comics and, as a result, coming off as an imitation of films likeTaxi Driver.[204]Peter Bradshaw ofThe Guardian called it "the most disappointing film of the year". While praising Phoenix's performance and the first act, he criticized the film's political plot developments and overall found it too derivative of various Scorsese films.[205]
Joker generated positive responses from industry figures. DC Comics chief creative officerJim Lee praised it as "intense, raw and soulful" and stated that it had remained true to the character despite deviating from the source material.[206][207] ActorMark Hamill, who has voiced the Joker in animation and video games since theDC Animated Universe (DCAU) showBatman: The Animated Series (1992–1995), thought the film had "brilliantly" reinvented the character and gave it "[two] thumbs up".[208]Superman (1978) directorRichard Donner called the film "brilliant", "fascinating", "really well-written" and stated that Phoenix's performance was "genius".[209] Documentary filmmakerMichael Moore calledJoker a "cinematic masterpiece" and stated it was a "danger to society" if people did not see it.[210] ActorJosh Brolin found the film powerful: "To appreciateJoker I believe you have to have either gone through something traumatic in your lifetime (and I believe most of us have) or understand somewhere in your psyche what true compassion is".[211] ActorVincent D'Onofrio vocally commended Phoenix's performance in the film on Twitter, stating that he "deserve[d] recognition for this performance", while actressJessica Chastain agreed, replying: "It's one of the greatest pieces of acting I've ever seen".[212]
Actress and screenwriterPhoebe Waller-Bridge also praised the film, stating: "I think the reason people got so uncomfortable [with the film] is because it feels too true, too raw. I was watching it and thinking to myself, God, if this came out a year into[Barack] Obama's time in office, I don't think we'd be feeling as worried about it".[213] FilmmakerDavid Fincher said of the film's unexpected success, "Nobody would have thought they had a shot at a giant hit withJoker hadThe Dark Knight not been as massive as it was. I don't think anyone would have looked at that material and thought, 'Yeah, let's take [Taxi Driver's]Travis Bickle and [The King of Comedy's] Rupert Pupkin and conflate them, then trap him in a betrayal of the mentally ill and trot it out for a billion dollars'".[214] ActorBrendan Gleeson felt that Phoenix's performance as the Joker was absolutely "indelible" and one of the most magnificent achievements in cinema he has ever seen, incidentally being that the reason he opted to join the film's sequelJoker: Folie à Deux (2024) as Jackie Sullivan.[215] FilmmakerRidley Scott, who had previously worked with Phoenix inGladiator (2000), felt "blown away" by the film; while he disliked the apparent way it celebrated violence, Scott felt that Phoenix's performance was remarkable enough to make Phoenix an "amazing asset" for his filmNapoleon (2023) in a "creative and commercial sense".[216]
Joker deals with the themes of mental illness and its both psychological and sociological effects.[227] While its depiction of the Joker has been described as reminiscent of those who commitmass shootings in the United States as well as members of the incel community,[228][additional citation(s) needed] Christina Newland ofThe Guardian concludes that Fleck is not an incel, but wrote that incels are likely to relate to him.[229] Vejvoda, Hammond and Newland interpreted the film as a cautionary tale—society's disregard of those who are less fortunate will create a person like the Joker.[194][198][229] Stephen Kent, writing for theWashington Examiner, described Arthur Fleck as blending shared aspects of mass shooters and interpreted its message as a reminder that society is riddled with men like the Joker.[228] Writing inPeople's World, Chauncey K. Robinson said the film "walks a fine line between exploration and validation" of Joker's character and is "ultimately an in-your-face examination of a broken system that creates its own monsters."[230]
Some writers have expressed concern thatJoker's sympathetic portrayal of a homicidal maniac could inspire real-world violence.[231][232]Richard Lawson ofVanity Fair found the film was too sympathetic towards "white men who commit heinous crimes" and that the sociopolitical ideologies represented in the film are "evils that are far more easily identifiable" to people "who shoot up schools and concerts and churches, who gun down the women and men they covet and envy, who let loose some spirit of anarchic animus upon the world—there's almost awoebegone mythos placed on them in the search for answers."[233] Jim Geraghty ofNational Review wrote he was "worried that a certain segment of America's angry, paranoid, emotionally unstable young men will watch Joaquin Phoenix descending into madness and a desire to get back at society by hurting as many people as possible and exclaim, 'finally, somebody understands me!'"[234] Contrarily, Michael Shindler, reviewing the film inMere Orthodoxy, while agreeing thatJoker depicts a sympathetic wish fulfillment fantasy, contends (drawing on insights fromSigmund Freud andJacques Lacan) that it is for precisely that reason that the film will, if anything, preemptively quell real-world violence by rendering "the Flecks of the world into meeksomnambulists".[235]
BritishneurocriminologistAdrian Raine was impressed by how accurate the film's depiction of the psychology of a murderer was. In an interview withVanity Fair, he described it as "a great educational tool" and stated that he planned to present film clips during his classes.[236] Psychiatrist Kamran Ahmed highlighted the factors in Arthur's childhood such as parental abuse and loss and family history of mental illness in the genesis of his condition.[237] Americanpsychiatrist Imani Walker, who is known for herBravo television seriesMarried to Medicine Los Angeles and working with violent criminals withmental disorders, analyzed the Joker's apparent mental disorders and circumstances and noted that Arthur tries to find help before his downfall, only to be abandoned. She says of Arthur and others in poverty who have mental illness: "We as a society don't even pretend that they're real people and that's what this movie is about. He never had a chance."[238] Forensic psychiatrist Ziv Cohen criticized the film as misrepresenting the mentally ill as violent.[239] He argued the film conflates psychopathy (a lack of conscience) with mental illness, thereby creating a false impression of the mentally ill as dangerous.[239]
Micah Uetricht, managing director ofJacobin, opined in a review published byThe Guardian that he was shocked that the media did not understand the movie's message: "we got a fairly straightforward condemnation of Americanausterity: how it leaves the vulnerable to suffer without the resources they need and the horrific consequences for the rest of society that can result"; Uetricht thus declares thatJoker presents a world that has devolved into "barbarism".[240] Uetricht states that these themes are unsubtle to the extent that it was surprising that most media outlets had not identified them.[240] Ahmed also highlights the lack of funding for already-stretched mental health services worldwide being alluded to.[237]
Alison Willmore wrote inVulture that the film has "impossible" and "deliberately contradictory" politics.[241]
The film's director and co-screenwriter, Todd Phillips, has stated thatJoker is "certainly not a political film".[242] Phillips has also commented on discourse surrounding the film, pushing back on several criticisms of its themes. He responded to critics who have expressed concerns over the film's violence, saying "Isn't it good to have these discussions about these movies, about violence? Why is that a bad thing if the movie does lead to a discourse about it?" Phillips also commented on political backlash to the film, saying "What's outstanding to me in this discourse in this movie is how easily the far left can sound like the far right when it suits their agenda. It's really been eye-opening for me."[243]
During aFive Star Movement event in October 2019, Italian comedian and politicianBeppe Grillo gave a speech wearing the Joker's makeup.[244] Yusuke Kawai, a candidate for governor ofChiba Prefecture, appeared onNHK with a Joker costume in 2021.[245] References to the character were also found in anti-government protests worldwide.[246][247] During the17 October Revolution, a group of graffiti artists called Ashekm painted a mural of the Joker holding a Molotov cocktail and it was also reported that there was a Joker facepaint station at the protests inBeirut.[246] InLos Ángeles, Chile, during the2019–2022 Chilean protests, the phrase "We are all clowns", which is adopted by Gotham City protesters in the movie, was written at the foot of a statue.[246][247] InHong Kong, protesters challenged anemergency decree prohibiting the wearing of masks by wearing those of fictional characters such as the Joker.[246] In France, during theYellow Vest Protests, firefighters donned Joker makeup holding placards.[248] In 2020, during theGeorge Floyd protests, Argentine presidentAlberto Fernández compared the pictures of the protests to those seen in the film.[249]
One of the locations seen in the film, a set of stairs in the Bronx, New York City, has been dubbed theJoker Stairs. The stairs have become a tourist destination and the subject ofInternet memes, with visitors often reenacting the scene from the film in which Fleck dances down the stairs in his Joker attire.[250][251] Ukrainian boxing championOleksandr Usyk wore a suit resembling that of Joker in a pre-fight press conference leading up to his fight withAnthony Joshua.[252]
In 2020,Deadline Hollywood listed it as one of the "21 Most Influential Films Of The 21st Century, So Far," with Pete Hammond describing it as a film "that emerged from a comic book to become a frightening comment on our own dark times, proving the genre from which it came is capable of being taken very seriously indeed."[253] It also ranked 39 onEmpire's list of the "100 Greatest Movies of the 21st Century," saying that "it represented another mature evolution for the comic book movie – and proved that DC adaptations could thrive outside the Marvel-style universe structure."[254]
Following theshooting of theUnitedHealthcare CEOBrian Thompson in 2024, comparisons were made to the film, such as how the suspected shooterLuigi Mangione became revered by the public following decades of grievances with the American healthcare system and people comparing Thompson's death to the deaths of Murray Franklin and Thomas Wayne at the hands of Arthur Fleck and his supporters in the film.[255][256][257]
In 2023, a Japanese man was sentenced to a 23-year prison sentence for stabbing a train passenger, imitating the scene in which Arthur murders the threeWayne Investments employees who harass him on the subway.[258]
Joker was intended to be a stand-alone film with no sequels but Warner Bros.greenlit a follow-up project.[97][259]Joker: Folie à Deux, with Phoenix and Beetz reprising their roles andLady Gaga joining asHarley Quinn, was released on October 4, 2024, to negative reviews and a poor commercial performance.[260][261]
^Abramovitch, Seth; Pope, Chip (March 7, 2020)."Richard Donner: 'Superman'".It Happened in Hollywood (Podcast). Event occurs at 50:00.Archived from the original on May 31, 2020. RetrievedSeptember 4, 2021 – viaApple Podcasts.
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