‘The Joker’: Todd Phillips Posts Another First Look As Set Photos Spread Like Wildfire

We said it from minute one: the reason why director Todd Phillips was releasing early, first-look photos of Joaquin Phoenix as the clown prince of crime in his upcoming “The Joker” movie is because set photos were about to spread everywhere. And he’s right. Currently shooting in New York, in the Bronx and Queens, paparazzi are on this film like white on rice, and more revealing pictures of Phoenix in full Joker regalia are ubiquitous on social media (see below).

READ MORE: ‘Joker’ Director Shares First Look At Joaquin Phoenix In Full Makeup

To get ahead of the curve again, Phillips has released another first look from “The Joker,” this time of actress Zazie Beetz, known for her roles in “Atlanta” and “Deadpool 2.” Jokingly called out for releasing all the photos early by one user on Instagram— “You do know your movie don’t drop for another year? Stop with the hype; it’s just gonna make the wait harder for us”— Phillips crafted a rare response.

“Here’s the issue,” he wrote on Instagram.” We have paparazzi all over our set, at every turn. And it bums me out that they constantly put out their bad shots. So, I figure, may as well put out some good ones.”

It’s not a bad tactic, combating the bad photos and containing the narrative, but take a tour on Twitter for five seconds, and one sees this fight is an uphill battle. Photos are omnipresent, and some that reveal amusing Easter Eggs like a Gotham City subway line that features the neighborhoods (Zack) “Snyder” and “Otisburg,” a Gotham City district connected to Arkham Island (where the famous Arkham Asylum, home for the criminally insane resides).

Said to be a cross between Martin Scorsese’s “The King Of Comedy” and a darker crime character study, “The Joker” centers around the iconic arch nemesis and is an original, standalone story not seen before on the big screen nor connected to the current DC Extended Universe (Batman will not appear in the movie either). Phillips’ exploration of Arthur Fleck (Phoenix), a man disregarded by society, is not only a gritty character study but also a broader cautionary tale.

Directed by Todd Phillips, the cast currently includes Joaquin Phoenix, Marc Maron, Glenn Fleshler, Shea Whigham, Zazie Beetz, Robert De Niro, Frances Conroy, Josh Pais, and Brett Cullen (the latter reportedly as Bruce Wayne’s father, Thomas). “The Joker” will be released on October 4, 2019. The paparazzi will capture dozens more set photos by then, for sure, but hopefully, they don’t spoil the entire movie.

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