Why so serious?
Aside from the superb direction and brilliant performance, Heath Ledger’s performance as The Joker is still one of the most iconic villains in recent memory beacuse of a simple trait, mystery.
The clown prince of crime even admits that he’s simply an agent of chaos that doesn’t believe in plans. After all, “It’s not about money! It’s about sending a message! Everything burns” and as Alfred said, “some men aren’t looking for anything logical, like money. They can’t be bought, bullied, reasoned, or negotiated with. Some men just want to watch the world burn.”
That’s why Batman’s nemesis was so terrifying in The Dark Knight, he cared about nothing and when you’ve got nothing to lose, anarchy prevails.
With news that Todd Phillips (The Hangover, Old School) is making a Joker origin film, plenty of people were wondering about the plot. Well, The Wrap have reported that it will portray Batman’s arch-nemesis as a failed 1980s comedian who becomes the clown prince of crime after failing miserably with audiences.
Martin Scorsese is producing the film and Joaquin Phoenix is set to play the iconic villain. In terms of tone, the same report states that the film will be influenced by Scorsese cult-classic The King of Comedy.
The film is set to start production in a few months time with Phillips and Scott Silver (8 Mile) writing the script.
The idea of The Joker as a failed comedian will please comic-book fans because it’s what Alan Moore pursued in his seminal graphic novel, The Killing Joke. In that story, Batman’s nemesis is portrayed as a struggling stand-up who snaps after ‘one bad day’ and turns to a life of crime.
