Todd Phillips, writer-director of the upcoming Joker feature, tells Empire that didn’t use the traditional background for Batman’s nemesis. In other words — Phillips’ Joker is going to be a completely original take on the iconic villain.
“We didn’t follow anything from the comic books, which people are gonna be mad about,” Phillips told Empire. “We just wrote our own version of where a guy like Joker might come from. That’s what was interesting to me. We’re not even doing Joker, but the story of becoming Joker. It’s about this man.”
Of Joaquin Phoenix portrayal of Arthur Fleck – a vulnerable, damaged man who will eventually became Gotham City’s psychopathic criminal, he said that he was laws the man for the role.
“I think he’s the greatest actor,” says Phillips. “We had a photo of him above our computer while we were writing. We constantly thought, ‘God, imagine if Joaquin actually does this.’”
Joker hits theaters on October 4.
