Joaquin Phoenix breaks silence on DC casting, says Joker movie "scares the f****** s*** out of me"
Amidst many wrongs, the one right decision taken by Warner Bros was to rope in acclaimed actor Joaquin Phoenix to revive the DC supervillain Joker on screen once again. In a movie produced by Martin Scorsese - that is completely separate from the current slate of movies in the DC Extended Universe - and directed by Todd Phillips, Phoenix has been confirmed for the starring role, telling the origin story of the iconic character who has come to be known as the clown prince of crime.
While rumors about the Mary Magdalene actor's addition to the DC movie has been doing the rounds for quite some time now, Phoenix finally opened up about the role in a recent interview, expressing his thoughts on slipping into the infamous shoes of the Joker.
“I take a lot of time and consideration when making decisions and what I’m gonna work on,” the actor dished, as quoted by Collider, adding, "So, in some ways, the process, which is obviously reading a script and meeting a filmmaker and then continuing to have meetings and discussions with Todd [Phillips]."
During the interview, the new Joker actor - a role that has previously seen many talented actors take turns including Jack Nicholson, Heath Ledger, and Jared Leto - was all praises for his director as well. He said, "I think [Phillips is] very impressive and he seems to have a very interesting understanding of this world and what he’s trying to say. And so there is something very appealing about that and working with him on this particular project."
And while one would expect Phoenix to have a certain ease with the role, considering his past catalog of performances, the actor was honest about admitting that there is something terrifying about playing the antagonistic Joker on screen. "It feels unique, it is its own world in some ways, and maybe, mostly, it scares the f*****g s**t out of me or something. It might as well be the thing that scares you the most,” the 43-year-old actor added.
With Phoenix's casting, all eyes will now be on the development of the origin movie. One can already tell that it's not going to be the usual DC-style superhero blockbuster - not only has the Joker film tapped in a diverse creative but also a smaller budget (in the range of $55 million), giving the entire process a refreshing new angle - and the actor's comments only confirm this thought.
“I wouldn’t quite classify this as like any genre. I wouldn’t say it’s a superhero movie, or a studio movie or a … It feels unique, and I think more than anything, and probably the most important thing, is Todd seems very passionate about it and very giving, and so that’s exciting," Phoenix added.
At the moment, the Joker origin movie doesn't have a title or a release date but production on the film is supposed to begin by September.