A new set video from Todd Phillips' Joker origin story—a movie apparently being filmed entirely in public with as many cell phones in the vicinity as possible—reveals Joaquin Phoenix going full Clown Prince of Crime on a Gotham City subway station. There was a ton of speculation over whether the circus-style makeup Phoenix wore in camera test footage would be the character's final look, but this video seems to confirm that it is. As it stands now, Phillips' Joker looks like an unholy mix between Heath Ledger's hair, Cesar Romero's purple suit, and John Wayne Gacy's makeup slash general penchant for murder.
The video also reveals a few stooge-looking extras wearing Dark Knight-esque clown masks, though it's hard to tell whether they're part of a gang or just a few Arthur Fleck fans. Some eagle-eyed viewers also spotted signs in the background that read "Clown4Mayor", which presumably means at some point Batman's homicidal arch-enemy is going to run for political office.
This movie is wacky, man, and that's barely knowing anything concrete about the plot. We know that Joker is somehow inspired by Martin Scorsese's The King of Comedy—Scorsese is an executive producer on this project and Comedy star Robert De Niro plays a major role—and that Phoenix begins the film as dumpy sadsack Arthur Fleck. How Fleck eventually ends up strolling through a chaotic scene in full clown makeup remains to be seen.
For now, check out the video below [via TMZ], followed by a few more choice shots of Phoenix in full makeup. Joker—which also stars Zazie Beetz, Marc Maron, Glenn Fleshler, and Brett Cullen— is set to hit theaters on October 4, 2019.
For more on Todd Phillips' Joker, check out the links below:
- Todd Phillips Reveals First Look at Zazie Beetz in 'Joker'
- Watch: 'Joker' Test Footage Reveals Joaquin Phoenix in Full Makeup
- Full 'Joker' Cast List Reveals Shea Whigham, Glenn Fleshler, and More
- Todd Phillips Reveals First Look at Joaquin Phoenix in 'Joker' Movie