When it was first reported that Hangover director Todd Phillips wanted to make a movie about the Joker set in the grungy era of 1980s New York, completely separate from the DC timeline, fans raised more than a few eyebrows. When Martin Scorsese boarded the project as a producer, that skepticism turned to outright confusion. And when it was announced that Joaquin Phoenix had signed on to the movie as the main character, nobody knew what to make of it. This was originally thought of as just another movie on a long list of DC projects that would probably never come to fruition, but was this actually a legit possibility? Turns out, yes, this is all very real. With an official title (Joker) and an October 2019 release date, Phillips' retro superhero saga is moving full steam ahead. After casting the lead, Warner Bros. is rounding out the cast with veteran actors and rising stars alike.
Last Thursday, The Hollywood Reporter's Borys Kit announced that Zazie Beetz is in talks to co-star with Phoenix in Joker, playing a single mother who draws the attention of the title character. Beetz recently starred in Deadpool 2 as Domino, the lucky mutant who serves as a critical member of X-Force. Beetz is also famous for her work on Atlanta, the hit FX show from multi-hyphenate Donald Glover. She has upcoming roles in Chance the Rapper/A24 collaboration Slice, Steven Soderbergh's High Flying Bird, and Tim O'Connor's The Undiscovered Country, and she's currently filming Noah Hawley's Pale Blue Dot and Benedict Andrews' Against All Enemies. To put it bluntly, Beetz is one of the most in-demand actors at the moment.
Earlier this morning, The Hollywood Reporter followed up their big scoop with an even bigger bit of breaking news, reporting that Robert De Niro is in talks for a role in the film. This is an oddly fitting casting choice, especially since previous reports noted the influence of Taxi Driver and The King of Comedy on Phillips' film. If talks go through, De Niro will play a talk show host who makes a lasting impression on Phoenix's Clown Prince of Crime. De Niro last appeared in Barry Levinson's The Wizard of Lies, but he could be back on the Oscar circuit with The Irishman, the latest epic from the legendary Martin Scorsese.
Finally, The Wrap's Umberto Gonzalez and Beatrice Verhoeven revealed that Frances Conroy is in negotiations to play the Joker's mother in the film. There are no additional details on the character, but this would represent another major role for Conroy, who recently appeared in Jennifer Fox's The Tale.
I'll admit, I was a little skeptical when Joker was first announced. But my skepticism was matched only by my fascination with this project, and it looks like my curiosity will pay off. As if Joaquin Phoenix wasn't enough, Joker is assembling quite a cast, and I'm thrilled to see how all of this plays out in what's being sold as a smaller, more intense superhero thriller.
Joker arrives in theaters on October 4, 2019.
Images: Warner Bros./Fox/IMDb
Last Thursday, The Hollywood Reporter's Borys Kit announced that Zazie Beetz is in talks to co-star with Phoenix in Joker, playing a single mother who draws the attention of the title character. Beetz recently starred in Deadpool 2 as Domino, the lucky mutant who serves as a critical member of X-Force. Beetz is also famous for her work on Atlanta, the hit FX show from multi-hyphenate Donald Glover. She has upcoming roles in Chance the Rapper/A24 collaboration Slice, Steven Soderbergh's High Flying Bird, and Tim O'Connor's The Undiscovered Country, and she's currently filming Noah Hawley's Pale Blue Dot and Benedict Andrews' Against All Enemies. To put it bluntly, Beetz is one of the most in-demand actors at the moment.
Earlier this morning, The Hollywood Reporter followed up their big scoop with an even bigger bit of breaking news, reporting that Robert De Niro is in talks for a role in the film. This is an oddly fitting casting choice, especially since previous reports noted the influence of Taxi Driver and The King of Comedy on Phillips' film. If talks go through, De Niro will play a talk show host who makes a lasting impression on Phoenix's Clown Prince of Crime. De Niro last appeared in Barry Levinson's The Wizard of Lies, but he could be back on the Oscar circuit with The Irishman, the latest epic from the legendary Martin Scorsese.
Finally, The Wrap's Umberto Gonzalez and Beatrice Verhoeven revealed that Frances Conroy is in negotiations to play the Joker's mother in the film. There are no additional details on the character, but this would represent another major role for Conroy, who recently appeared in Jennifer Fox's The Tale.
I'll admit, I was a little skeptical when Joker was first announced. But my skepticism was matched only by my fascination with this project, and it looks like my curiosity will pay off. As if Joaquin Phoenix wasn't enough, Joker is assembling quite a cast, and I'm thrilled to see how all of this plays out in what's being sold as a smaller, more intense superhero thriller.
Joker arrives in theaters on October 4, 2019.
Images: Warner Bros./Fox/IMDb
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