The new Joker movie, starring Joaquin Phoenix as the Joker, has been on the radar of comic book fans for ages now - with Tood Philips' film drawing from classic graphic novels like Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns and Alan Moore's The Killing Joke, as well as Martin Scorcese films such as Taxi Drivers and The King of Comedy.
When the film was first announced, many people were sceptical that Phoenix would ever be able to step out of the shadow cast by the late Heath Ledger, whose portrayal remains the definitive version in the eyes of many.
Take a look at this outtake from the filming of Joker:But as of October 7, 2019, Joker is creeping up towards The Dark Knight on the Internet Movie Database. Joker is currently standing at number nine in the top 250 ratings, while The Dark Knight is sitting at number four. Joker and The Dark Knight are the only comic book movies to break the IMDB top 10.
Not only that, but Joker has also smashed a major record, and boasts the biggest October box office opening ever. TIME Magazine reports that Joker grossed an estimated $93.5 million in ticket sales from 4,374 screens in North America, and made a total of $234 million globally.
The movie also achieved an eight-minute-long standing ovation from audiences at its premiere, which commenced during the 76th Venice International Film Festival. Joker even went on to win the Golden Lion - the festival's highest accolade.
Despite this, some people have criticised the movie out of fears that it may spark similar terrorist incidents to the 2012 Aurora Shooting. In the tragedy, James Holmes killed 12 people and injured 70 others at a movie theatre in Colorado during a showing of Christopher Nolan's, The Dark Knight Rises.
Watch the final trailer for the Joker movie below:Holmes dyed his hair orange and made several references to the character of the Joker during interviews while in police custody, although experts dismissed these references as being shallow appeals to his insanity plea.
