SALT LAKE CITY — The new “Joker” movie starring Joaquin Phoenix will be rated R, the film’s director revealed over the weekend.
On Sunday, “Joker” director Todd Phillips shared a photo on Instagram of Phoenix putting on makeup for his Joker character, adding the caption “Finishing touches” to the post.
In the comments, one follower asked him about the film’s official MPAA rating. Phillips responded in a comment:
“It will be Rated R. I’ve been asked this a lot. Just assumed people knew. Sorry.”
What they’re saying: “Of course, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that Joker was gunning for an R rating. After all, the teaser trailer that was released in April spurred plenty of jokes at its expense, but it was as creepy as it is silly,” according to Uproxx.
- “Honestly, many had already assumed that the movie would probably be R-rated based on the teaser trailer. Clearly Todd Phillips thought the same thing. But this is the first official confirmation we’ve gotten from the director himself,” according to SlashFilm.
- “This will be a change of pace for DC films as the only R-rated superhero films they've had are the animated movies that often don't get a theatrical release,” according to ScreenRant.
Flashback: The “Joker” trailer dropped back on April 3, showing Phoenix’s Arthur Fleck as a failed comedian who becomes a psychopathic killer named The Joker. The movie is somewhat of an origin story to the Batman comics.
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