Yesterday, the first trailer dropped for the latest film by Warner Brothers and DC involving The Joker. What is clear from the footage is this will be an unconventional take on a comic book villain with inspiration from classic films like Taxi Driver.
The footage also looks like a drastic departure from Jared Leto’s attempt.
The other aspect of the footage that has the internet abuzz is Joaquin Phoenix’s dramatic weight loss for the role. As seen in the image below, Phoenix is showing a dedication that looks almost borderline unhealthy.
Some might even compare it to Christian Bale’s turn in The Machinist.
How much weight did Joaquin Phoenix lose to prepare for Joker?
Reports of the Joaquin Phoenix weight loss began dropping before the film started filming, specifically around the time The Sister Brothers premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival.
Sightings of the actor on the red carpet shot waves around the internet concerning the jarring transformation Phoenix made with his weight and bony face.
As far as how much weight the actor lost for the role, that remains unclear. When speaking to Inquirer in September, Phoenix talked about his diet saying, “I spent a month eating whatever I couldn’t, then I started the diet, which is so f**king stupid, but yeah.”
He also told the publication that the diet was a “solitary” experience because the lack of food made him unbearable to be around.
Needless to say, Joaquin Phoenix’s dedication to the transformation looks like it paid off because the weight loss conveys an emptiness to the character of Arthur Fleck.
Whether the film as a whole is good remains to be seen but at the very least one can likely expect another outstanding performance from the acclaimed actor.
Joker will release in theaters everywhere on October 4, 2019.