New camera test shows Joaquin Phoenix in clown makeup for Phillips’ Joker

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

Todd Phillips today released a camera test for director Todd Phillips' upcoming JOKER film via his personal Instagram account, which features a casual-looking Joaquin Phoenix  as "Arthur," steadily transforming into a clown while the song "Laughing" by The Guess Who plays in the background. Rather than presenting us with the classic villain's iconic look, Phoenix's transformation has him looking a hell of a lot more like the notorious serial killer John Wayne Gacy than the Clown Prince of Crime. The video is unsettling to be certain, and does much to suggest that Phillips' take on DC's Jester of Genocide will be one of the darkest yet. My suspicion is that this will be an early look for the character. Or, this style of makeup won't be used in the film at all, and that WB is simply having some fun with the lead-up to the much-anticipated film.

You can check out the video for yourself below:

Set to star alongside Phoenix in the Batman spinoff feature are Zazie Beetz (DEADPOOL 2, ATLANTA), Robert De Niro (RAGING BULL, CAPE FEAR), Frances Conroy (SIZ FEET UNDER, CATWOMAN) and Marc Maron (GLOW, ALMOST FAMOUS). The plot of JOKER is being kept under wraps at this time, though with the film expected to hit theaters on October 4, 2019, I suspect that we'll be learning much more before the year is out.