It looks like Todd Phillips’ origins story of Batman’s iconic villain is going to be a completely original take on the Gotham City’s criminal.
The writer-director of the upcoming Joker feature, tells Empire that he didn’t use the traditional background for his forthcoming Joker film starring Joaquin Phoenix.
“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.”
The decision to cast Phoenix to portray Arthur Fleck – a vulnerable, damaged man who will eventually become Gotham’s psychopathic criminal, was an easy one for Phillips.
“I think he’s the greatest actor,” said 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.
