Todd Phillips, the director of Warner Bros.' Joker, believes the film's massive success is not due to Batman. The Joaquin Phoenix-starring feature was one of the most discussed films of 2019. It was a financial success, grossing over $1 billion worldwide.
It is now 2020, and headlines about Joker's success have not stopped. The film released back in October and surprised audiences with its raw storytelling. Phoenix played a mentally ill man shunned by society. Although not starting out as a killer or bad guy, the film showed his descent into madness, largely in part due to the uncaring people of Gotham City. Even those who criticized the film had good things to say about Phoenix's performance. It is the first R-rated film to cross $1 billion and the most profitable comic book movie of all time. The fact people are still talking about the film speaks of how impactful it was. Some might say Joker's success is due in large part to its ties to the Batman mythos, but Phillips doesn't think so.
Per Deadline, during their The Contenders New York event, Phillips talked about Joker and was asked if its ties to the Batman name made it successful. Phillips says Batman was not the reason for its success, believing "it was more than that." He went on to say:
"I mean, I think there are themes in the movie that really resonated with people. None of us thought an R-rated movie could do over $1 billion across the world. But I think the themes in it really resonated. The thing Scott Silver and I set out to do when we wrote the movie together was to make something meaningful in that comic book space, but also something really that addressed what was going on in 2016, when we started writing. It’s pretty obvious what was happening in our country in 2017 while we were writing it, and really wanted to use Joker to make a movie about the loss of compassion and the lack of decorum in the world."
To summarize what Phillips is saying, Joker's success is primarily due to the story resonating with viewers. The story showcases a Gotham City devoid of compassion, with a number of characters being unkind to Arthur Fleck. The film has been acclaimed as a deep character study. It is a comic book movie, but it flows differently than the usual film. In addition to talking about Joker's success, Phillips also said he and Phoenix are "open" to working on a sequel. Fans will have to wait and see if Joker remains a standalone, or if a followup is developed.
It remains to be seen if Joker takes home any awards from the Academy Awards next month. On the Golden Globes side, Joker was nominated for four, including Best Motion Picture. Although the film is not universally liked, it has nonetheless left an impact. Joker was so financially successful, it even returned to IMAX theaters for one week. An over $1 billion gross, pre-release controversy, a raw main performance, and other factors have made Joker one of the most notable films of the last decade. Fans waiting for the physical release will be able to witness the story again when the film hits Blu-ray next week.
Source: Deadline
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