Todd Phillips Opens Up About The Struggles Of Making 'Joker'

Todd Phillips, the director of the blockbuster hit movie “Joker,” has revealed that he and his team were struggling to get the movie done because of all the backlash he received for telling the origin story of the clown prince of Gotham.

Speaking in the roundtable discussion with the Hollywood Reporter, the 49-year-old filmmaker explained what he had to go through for even getting the movie made even when it exists in the “superhero world.” The director later admitted that the film is not a typical superhero movie that everyone is so fond of seeing.

The “Hangover” helmer also noted that the movie was greatly inspired by Martin Scorsese’s “The King Of Comedy” and the various works of esteemed director Sidney Lumet who was an integral part of Phillips’ life while growing up.

“We were struggling to get ‘Joker’ made, which sounds funny because it exists in the superhero world, but it is really not one of those movies,” Phillips said.

When asked how he tackled all the controversies related to the movie, especially the violence, the “Due Date” helmer revealed that he did not “subscribe” to it. He explained how some people would write a two-page story on how bad the movie is even without seeing it.

“I just did not subscribe to that, quite frankly, bulls—t thing that was happening in the media where they just pick a movie every so often and declare it means something that it does not,” Phillips said.

Prior to its release, a certain section of society slammed Phillips and actor Joaquin Phoenix for justifying and encouraging violence. Both artists denied all the allegations and insisted that all of them are false.

Even after all the controversies, “Joker” turned out to be a massive success for Phillips and Warner Bros. The movie became the first-ever R-rated movie to cross the $1 billion mark at the global box office. The most impressive feat about the earnings that the movie has is that it has not been released in China.

“Joker” has been nominated for seven Critics’ Choice Awards, including Best Picture. Meanwhile, the film’s lead actor Joaquin Phoenix has been nominated in the Best Actor category.

The film also nabbed four Golden Globes noms, including a Best Director nod for Phillips.