Director Todd Phillips and star Joaquin Phoenix are bringing a whole new vision of the iconic Joker to the big screen later this year with an origin story for Batman’s arch-nemesis that’s said to be more of a mid-budget crime thriller than a superhero blockbuster. In the movie, a failed stand-up comedian is driven insane and becomes a psychopathic murderer.
On Instagram over the weekend, Phillips shared the above image while confirming that Joker will indeed be much darker than the typical DC movie, with an “R” rating attached to it.
“It will be rated R,” Phillips replied to a fan. “I’ve been asked this a lot. Just assumed people knew. Sorry.”
The new take on the Joker arrives in theaters on October 4.