Joker (2019 film)

Joker
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Todd Phillips
Written by	Todd Phillips Scott Silver
Based on	The Joker by Bob Kane Bill Finger Jerry Robinson Characters by DC Comics
Produced by	Todd Phillips Bradley Cooper Emma Tillinger Koskoff
Starring	Joaquin Phoenix Robert De Niro Zazie Beetz Frances Conroy
Cinematography	Lawrence Sher
Edited by	Jeff Groth
Music by	Hildur Guðnadóttir
Production companies	Warner Bros. Pictures Village Roadshow Pictures Bron Creative Joint Effort DC Films
Distributed by	Warner Bros. Pictures
Release dates	August 31, 2019 (2019-08-31) (Venice) October 4, 2019 (2019-10-04) (United States)
Running time	122 minutes[1]
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$55 million
Box office	$1.079 billion[2][3]

Joker is a 2019 American psychological thriller film directed by Todd Phillips from a screenplay co-written with Scott Silver. The film, loosely based on DC Comics characters, stars Joaquin Phoenix as the Joker. Set in 1981, it follows Arthur Fleck, a failed clown and aspiring stand-up comedian whose descent into mental illness and nihilism inspires a violent countercultural revolution against the wealthy in a decaying Gotham City. Robert De Niro, Zazie Beetz, and Frances Conroy appear in supporting roles. Distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, Joker was produced by Warner Bros. Pictures and DC Films in association with Village Roadshow Pictures, Bron Creative and Joint Effort.

Phillips conceived Joker in 2016 and wrote the script with Silver throughout 2017. The two were inspired by 1970s character studies and the films of Martin Scorsese, particularly Taxi Driver (1976) and The King of Comedy (1982); Scorsese was initially attached to the project as a producer. The film loosely adapts plot elements from Batman: The Killing Joke (1988), and The Dark Knight Returns (1986), but Phillips and Silver otherwise did not look to specific comics for inspiration, nor did he wish for it to be connected to any prior Batman 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 in New York City, Jersey City and Newark, from September to December 2018. Joker is the first live-action theatrical Batman film to receive an R rating from the Motion Picture Association.^[a]

Joker premiered at the 76th Venice International Film Festival on August 31, 2019, where it won the Golden Lion, and was theatrically released in the United States on October 4. The film received polarizing reviews from critics, with praise directed toward Phillip's direction, the screenplay, Phoenix's performance, musical score, and cinematography, while the dark tone, portrayal of mental illness, lack of originality and depiction of violence were more divisive. The film was a box office success and set records for an October release. It grossed over $1 billion; the first R-rated film to do so and became the sixth-highest-grossing film of 2019 during its theatrical run. The film also received numerous accolades. A sequel, Joker: Folie à Deux, is set to be released on October 4, 2024.

Cite error: There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or {{efn}} templates on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}} template or {{notelist}} template (see the help page).