History Trivia / Joker2019

!!Other Trivia:

* ''Joker'' has become the highest-grossing R-rated film of all time, unadjusted for inflation -- having overtaken ''Film/Deadpool2'' (which grossed $785 million) within its first month of release.
* The film is also notable for being the first comic book adaptation to win the Venice Festival's UsefulNotes/LeoneDOro.

* SleeperHit: While some would expect the movie to make a profit, nobody expected it to come close to making a billion dollars.

** Creator/ShaileneWoodley, Creator/GuguMbathaRaw, Creator/DakotaJohnson, [[Series/HowToGetAwayWithMurder Aja Naomi King]], and Creator/MaryElizabethWinstead were considered for the role of Sophie Dumond before the casting of Creator/ZazieBeetz. Winstead would later go on to portray [[Comicbook/{{Huntress}} Helena Bertinelli]] in ''Film/{{Birds of Prey|2020}}''.

** Making things yet more interesting, the final film has almost the ''polar opposite'' political standpoint to what was assumed, instead being a polemic in favor of empathy towards the mentally ill and in favor of [[EatTheRich violence against the wealthy.]] Any "incel" that watched this film and understood it would come away very disappointed, not emboldened.]][[note]]After the film's release saw none of the violence forewarned by the media, it was noted that the only true effect the movie had was leading to a tourism boom for the Bronx staircase for fans photographing themselves dancing on the steps... Which led to (more tepid) worries that [[https://melmagazine.com/en-us/story/joker-steps-south-bronx-highbridge-gentrification Joker was gentrifying the area.[[/note]]

** Making things yet more interesting, the final film has almost the ''polar opposite'' political standpoint to what was assumed, instead being a polemic in favor of empathy towards the mentally ill and in favor of [[EatTheRich violence against the wealthy.]] Any "incel" that watched this film and understood it would come away very disappointed, not emboldened.

* ExecutiveMeddling: Cinematographer Lawrence Sher revealed that him and Creator/ToddPhillips wanted to shoot on 70mm film like ''Film/TheHatefulEight'', ''Film/{{Dunkirk}}'' and ''Film/TheRiseOfSkywalker'', partially because Phillips prefers film stock [[https://www.indiewire.com/2019/11/joker-warner-bros-turned-down-70mm-film-shoot-1202189137/ but Warner Bros. refused to let them do they had to shoot digital]].

* ExecutiveMeddling: Cinematographer Lawrence Sher revealed that him and Creator/ToddPhillips wanted to shoot on 70mm film [[like ''Film/TheHatefulEight'', ''Film/{{Dunkirk}}'' and ''Film/TheRiseOfSkywalker'']], partially because Phillips prefers film stock but Warner Bros, refused to let them do they had to shoot digital.

* AdaptationOverdosed: The film features the ''third'' live action Bruce Wayne in 2019 alone (the others being the final season of ''Series/{{Gotham}}'' and the second season of ''Series/{{Titans|2018}}'') as well as the third live action Joker incarnation in the decade (after ''Film/{{Suicide Squad|2016}}'' and ''Gotham'', and second in 2019 after the latter), although it's kind of fitting for the ''Franchise/{{Batman}}'' franchise's [[MilestoneCelebration 80th anniversary]]. While we're here, the death of Bruce's parents is reenacted ''yet again''.

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** According to the aforementioned ContentLeak, an earlier version of the script had a different story arc in mind for Sophie. Arthur originally ''did'' go out with her a few times, but she only did so out of pity, and she was romantically-involved with someone else. When Arthur discovered this, he went on an extended, borderline-misogynistic rant to her face, before telling her to watch Murray Franklin's show on the fateful night. This version of the story makes it clear that he didn't kill her.

* AdaptationalContextChange: In most incarnations of the story, [[spoiler:Thomas and Martha Wayne are killed in a random street robbery gone violent or a hitman put on them by Gotham's mob. In this version, their killer targeted them and went for the kill during an EatTheRich riot.]]
* AdaptationOverdosed: The film features the ''third'' live action Bruce Wayne in 2019 alone (the others being the final season of ''Series/{{Gotham}}'' and the second season of ''Series/{{Titans|2018}}'') as well as the third live action Joker incarnation in the decade (after ''Film/{{Suicide Squad|2016}}'' and ''Gotham'', and second in 2019 after the latter), although it's kind of fitting for the ''Franchise/{{Batman}}'' franchise's [[MilestoneCelebration 80th anniversary]]. While we're here, [[spoiler:the death of Bruce's parents]] is reenacted ''yet again''.

** The scene of Arthur dancing in the bathroom [[spoiler:after his first three kills]] was completely improvised by Phoenix, leading to one of the most memorable quiet moments in the film.

** [[spoiler:During the fateful confrontation between Arthur and Murray, Phoenix was suppose to say "What do you get, when you cross a mentally ill loner, with a ''system''...", but instead said "With a '''''society'''''..."]]. Can also count as an AscendedMeme for all the jokes involving [[spoiler: "society"]].

** According to the aforementioned ContentLeak, an earlier version of the script had a different story arc in mind for Sophie. [[spoiler:Arthur originally ''did'' go out with her a few times, but she only did so out of pity, and she was romantically-involved with someone else. When Arthur discovered this, he went on an extended, borderline-misogynistic rant to her face, before telling her to watch Murray Franklin's show on the fateful night. This version of the story makes it clear that he didn't kill her.]]
* WordOfSaintPaul: Cinematographer Lawrence Asher confirmed [[spoiler: [[https://www.slashfilm.com/joker-cinematographer-interview/ in an interview with /Film]] that Arthur did NOT kill Sophie]].

* WordOfGod: Cinematographer Lawrence Asher confirmed [[spoiler: [[https://www.slashfilm.com/joker-cinematographer-interview/ in an interview with /Film]] that Arthur did NOT kill Sophie]].

** For Creator/DCFilms itself. The studio was initially created to shepherd the Franchise/DCExtendedUniverse, with the focus being on blockbuster-type comic book films. ''Joker'' is the first comic book film produced by them to deviate from the blockbuster formula (being more of a straight up tragedy and character study), and is not set in the DCEU.

* HostilityOnTheSet: Creator/JoaquinPhoenix and Creator/RobertDeNiro had a clash during the earliest stage of filming. De Niro follows traditional rite of script read-through, a process that Phoenix dislikes. [=De Niro=] insisted that they did, and Phoenix half-heartedly accepted, mumbling through the entire read-through. They reportedly settled their differences immediately, but on set they hardly ever spoke to each other outside of filming. They maintained that their disagreement are strictly professional, however, and Phoenix went on to say that [=De Niro=] is his favorite actor.

* ApprovalOfGod: Joker veteran Creator/MarkHamill expressed his utmost praise for the film on social media.
-->'''Mark Hamill:''' ''(via Instagram)'' The awesome Joaquin Phoenix, Todd Phillips and Scott Silver brilliantly reimagine the character as never seen before! 2 thumbs up from that old-school, comic book version... me.

--->To appreciate ''Joker'' I believe you have to have either gone through something traumatic in your lifetime (and I believe most of us have) or understand somewhere in your psyche what true compassion is.

-->To appreciate ''Joker'' I believe you have to have either gone through something traumatic in your lifetime (and I believe most of us have) or understand somewhere in your psyche what true compassion is.

* AdaptationOverdosed: The film features the ''third'' live action Bruce Wayne in 2019 alone (the others being the final season of ''Series/{{Gotham}}'' and the second season of ''Series/{{Titans|2018}}'') as well as the third live action Joker incarnation in the decade (after ''Film/{{Suicide Squad|2016}}'' and ''Gotham'', second in 2019 after the latter), although it's kind of fitting for the ''Franchise/{{Batman}}'' franchise's [[MilestoneCelebration 80th anniversary]]. While we're here, [[spoiler:the death of Bruce's parents]] is reenacted ''yet again''.

* AdaptationOverdosed: The film features the ''third'' live action Bruce Wayne in 2019 alone (the others being the final season of ''Series/{{Gotham}}'' and the second season of ''Series/{{Titans|2018}}'') as well as the third live action Joker incarnation in the decade (after ''Film/{{Suicide Squad|2016}}'' and ''Gotham'', second in 2019 after the latter), although it's kind of fitting for the ''Franchise/{{Batman}}'' franchise's [[MilestoneCelebration 80th anniversary]]. While we're here, [[spoiler:the death of Bruce's parents is reenacted ''yet again''.]]

* AdaptationOverdosed: The film features the ''third'' live action Bruce Wayne in 2019 alone (the others being the final season of ''Series/{{Gotham}}'' and the second season of ''Series/{{Titans|2018}}'') as well as the third live action Joker incarnation in the decade (after ''Film/{{Suicide Squad|2016}}'' and ''Gotham'', second in 2019 after the latter), although it's kind of fitting for the ''Batman'' franchise's [[MilestoneCelebration 80th anniversary]]. While we're here, [[spoiler:the death of Bruce's parents is reenacted ''yet again''.]]

* AdaptationOverdosed: The film features the ''third'' live action Bruce Wayne in 2019 alone (the others being the final season of ''Series/{{Gotham}}'' and the second season of ''Series/{{Titans|2018}}'') as well as the third Joker incarnation in the decade (after ''Film/{{Suicide Squad|2016}}'' and ''Gotham'', second in 2019 after the latter), although it's kind of fitting for the ''Batman'' franchise's [[MilestoneCelebration 80th anniversary]]. While we're here, [[spoiler:the death of Bruce's parents is reenacted ''yet again''.]]

* AdaptationOverdosed: The film features the ''third'' live action Bruce Wayne in 2019 alone (the others being the final season of ''Series/{{Gotham}}'' and the second season of ''Series/{{Titans|2018}}''), although it's fitting for the franchise's [[MilestoneCelebration 80th anniversary]]. While we're here, [[spoiler:the death of his parents is reenacted ''yet again''.]]

** Cinematographer Lawrence Asher confirmed [[spoiler: [[https://www.slashfilm.com/joker-cinematographer-interview/ in an interview with /Film]] that Arthur did NOT kill Sophie]].
*