Joaquin Phoenix isn’t concerned with disappointing fans when his Joker origin movie arrives in theaters next year, or, at least he says as much in a recent interview with Indiewire.
While promoting his upcoming film The Sister Brothers, a Western costarring Jake Gyllenhaal and John C. Reilly, the three time Academy-Award nominated actor opened up about his decision to portray the Clown Prince of Crime, and more or less brushed aside any notion that he was feeling pressure to get his performance right — particularly in the wake of Heath Ledger’s now iconic take on the character.
“I could care less,” he said. “I don’t really think that much about what people think. Who cares, who cares? My approach to every movie is the same. What I’m interested in is the filmmaker and the idea of the character.”
In the same interview Phoenix revealed that he had already begun preparing for the role, but admitted the current press tour was making the work somewhat difficult.
“It is ideal to be able to focus on one thing and not do press while you’re prepping for something else, which is not working out,” he said.
Although Warner Brothers is still moving forward with a Jared Leto starring Joker film, Phoenix’s Joker has already gotten the official green light. Written by Scott Silver (The Fighter) and directed by Todd Philips (The Hangover), the film is unique for superhero genre in its relatively small 55-million-dollar budget.
Joker has also managed to attract a couple of solid Hollywood heavyweights, including the legendary Robert De Niro, Frances Conroy and comedian Marc Maron.
Joker is set to begin filming this September, with a release date of October 4, 2019.
