Like it or loathe it, it's fair to say that the new Joker movie, starring Joaquin Phoenix as the eponymous Batman villain, is iconic. Directed in the style of a Martin Scorsese movie, its grim depiction of Gotham City and the origin story of the most famous supervillain in comics has been praised by many for its cinematography.

Indeed, the long flight of stairs that the character of Arthur Fleck dances down when he finally loses his mind and becomes a murderous psychopath has been heavily featured in promotional materials for the film, such as posters, trailers and in screenshots.

Now, fans of the movie are allegedly flocking to the real-life location of the stairs to recreate the famous scene, making it something of an unlikely tourist attraction.

The Joker stairs are located in The Bronx in New York City and connect Shakespeare and Anderson avenues at West 167th Street. However, the tourists have drawn the ire of some local residents in the area, such as Twitter-user Desus Nice, who recently wrote: "legally as a bronx resident you're allowed and encouraged to tax anyone visiting the joker stairs. [sic]" 

Strangely enough, this isn't the first time that a movie has ended up making a flight of stairs famous. A similar phenomenon occurred not long after the release of William Freidkin's 1973 horror film The Exorcist. The film climaxes with the death of Father Damien Karras, who jumps out of a second-storey window and falls to a gruesome death down a long flight of stairs outside.

The 'Exorcist Steps' are located at the corner of Prospect St and 36th St NW in Georgetown. Constructed in 1895, they lead down to M Street NW, and have boasted regular visitors since the movie was released in theatres. In 2015, they were even recognized as a civic landmark and official tourist attraction by Mayor Muriel Bowser, and a plaque at the base of the steps now informs visitors about the history of the site. 

Take a look at some of the best recreations of the scene below:

Although Joker has proven divisive with critics, it's been a hit with audiences. The movie has currently broken the record for box office earnings for the month of October.

Like it or loathe it, it's fair to say that the new Joker movie, starring Joaquin Phoenix as the eponymous Batman villain, is iconic. Directed in the style of a Martin Scorsese movie, its grim depiction of Gotham City and the origin story of the most famous supervillain in comics has been praised by many for its cinematography.

Indeed, the long flight of stairs that the character of Arthur Fleck dances down when he finally loses his mind and becomes a murderous psychopath has been heavily featured in promotional materials for the film, such as posters, trailers and in screenshots.

Now, fans of the movie are allegedly flocking to the real-life location of the stairs to recreate the famous scene, making it something of an unlikely tourist attraction.

The Joker stairs are located in The Bronx in New York City and connect Shakespeare and Anderson avenues at West 167th Street. However, the tourists have drawn the ire of some local residents in the area, such as Twitter-user Desus Nice, who recently wrote: "legally as a bronx resident you're allowed and encouraged to tax anyone visiting the joker stairs. [sic]" 

Strangely enough, this isn't the first time that a movie has ended up making a flight of stairs famous. A similar phenomenon occurred not long after the release of William Freidkin's 1973 horror film The Exorcist. The film climaxes with the death of Father Damien Karras, who jumps out of a second-storey window and falls to a gruesome death down a long flight of stairs outside.

The 'Exorcist Steps' are located at the corner of Prospect St and 36th St NW in Georgetown. Constructed in 1895, they lead down to M Street NW, and have boasted regular visitors since the movie was released in theatres. In 2015, they were even recognized as a civic landmark and official tourist attraction by Mayor Muriel Bowser, and a plaque at the base of the steps now informs visitors about the history of the site. 

Take a look at some of the best recreations of the scene below:

Although Joker has proven divisive with critics, it's been a hit with audiences. The movie has currently broken the record for box office earnings for the month of October.