Joaquin Phoenix is ready to follow in the footsteps of Jack Nicholson and Heath Ledger, as the teaser from “Joker” was unveiled for the first time ever at CinemaCon in Las Vegas by director Todd Phillips.
The teaser shows a man named Arthur, played by Phoenix, in therapy, talking about how his mother told him to always put on a happy face. But life continues to beat him down as he is constantly assaulted during his day job as a clown and his night job as a failed comedian. Eventually, the horrors of Gotham break him, as he transforms into the infamous Clown Prince of Crime who accelerates Gotham City’s descent into nihilistic madness.
“I used to think my life was a tragedy,” Arthur mutters. “But now I realize… that it’s a comedy.”
Robert De Niro, Zazie Beetz, Shea Whigham, Frances Conroy, Marc Maron, Douglas Hodge and Brett Cullen co-star.
DC and Warner Bros. are releasing the film on Oct. 4.
