In addition, the film received an eye-popping 11 Oscar nominations and two wins, with Phoenix following the late Heath Ledger in winning an acting Oscar for his performance as the Batman enemy. The film drew inspiration from Martin Scorsese films such as “Taxi Driver” and “The King of Comedy” in its portrayal of Arthur’s journey into madness, making it one of the more memorable comic book films in recent memory.ĭespite mixed reviews and moral panic at the time that the film would inspire real world violence, “Joker” was a box office success, grossing over $1 billion against a $62.5 million budget. Released in 2019, Todd Phillip’s original “Joker” film presented a reimagined version of the classic “Batman” antagonist, following the character in his civilian identity of Arthur Fleck (played by Joaquin Phoenix) in a run-down ’80s version of Gotham.
The clown prince of crime is set to make his return to the big screen - and it’s sounding weirder and weirder the more we hear about it.
