Joker trailer: Joaquin Phoenix is terrifying in Batman villain orgin story
'My mother always tells me to smile and put on a happy face'
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The first trailer for the Joaquin Phoenix-starring Joker has been released.
“My mother always tells me to smile and put on a happy face,” the sadistic Batman villain says over the new footage.
Zazie Beetz, Brian Tyree Henry and Brett Cullen all appear in the trailer, as does Robert De Niro, who plays a talk show host.
The DC film is set in a 1980s version of Gotham City and promises to be an “exploration of a man disregarded by society [that] is not only a gritty character study, but also a broader cautionary tale”.
Phoenix’s character – who remains unconnected from Jared Leto’s version of the character in Suicide Squad – starts as a struggling comedian, much like Rupert Pupkin (played by De Niro) in Martin Scorsese film The King of Comedy.
Todd Phillips (The Hangover trilogy, War Dogs) has directed Joker, with Phillips, Bradley Cooper and Emma Tillinger Koskoff acting as producers.
Joker reaches cinemas 4 October.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments