Warner Bros has released six new clips from Joker, the upcoming film featuring Joaquin Phoenix as the iconic Batman villain, ahead of a possible new trailer release this week. The film is an origin story about how the downtrodden stand-up comic Arthur Fleck turns to a life of crime.
Each of the six clips contains a split-second message, which when stitched together leaves the message, “Trailer. 8.28.” One trailer has already been released for the film, which is slated to hit theatres on October 4, and will have a world premiere at the Venice International Film Festival, more than a month before its release.
While the clips don’t reveal any plot details, they offer glimpses into the fresh, new style that director Todd Phillips is bringing to the world of Batman. Most of the clips seem to be from the previous trailer, including shots of Joker dancing on a stairway, running along a tunnel, and smiling ominously. There is also a quick clip of Robert De Niro’s talk show host character, and a brand new clip of Arthur opening a refrigerator and entering it.
Inspired by the early films of Martin Scorsese, Joker is set in the 80s, and will chronicle the rise of the character up the ranks of Gotham City’s criminal underbelly. It is unclear if Batman will play any sort of part in the story, although the first trailer mentioned the Wayne family and also showed a quick glimpse of a very young Bruce.
Recently, it was revealed that the film has been rated R by the Motion Picture Association of America, for “strong bloody violence, disturbing behaviour, language, and brief sexual images.” This is a departure for DC Comics properties, which usually get a PG-13 rating, with the exception of a few films such as Watchmen.
With the future of the DC Extended Universe being up in the air - both Ben Affleck and Henry Cavill are reportedly out as Batman and Superman - Warner Bros will focus on standalone films such as Joker in the coming years, besides producing sequels to Suicide Squad, Wonder Woman and Aquaman.
