As if we don’t have enough evidence that the Batman franchise is once again in safe and strong hands, Christian Bale has been talking about his thoughts on the idea of Joker, from Comic Book Movie:
“I want to see the Joker, because I think it will be a very different kind of Joker than people have seen before,” he said. “I think even the card that you see at the end of the movie shows that it is a darker, more sinister-looking Joker than anything I have seen depicted before. I think it would be a good adversary.”
It’s always good to hear that they are reading and care about the source material, it’s even better to hear the stars involved talk about the vision of the movie as it should be – darker and more sinister. Perfect.
“Thank God, there was no Robin,” Bale says. “You really don’t need him because Robin makes it campy and not dark.
Another winner in my book. Quite frankly I think the current team involved in the Batman movies have it nailed down to a tee. If only all comic, and videogame for that matter, adaptations could follow the Batman and X-Men models, I think the movie world would be a better place. Discuss.
Tim Curry or Ralph Fiennes would also be suitable for the role as the Joker. Say what you will about Jack Nicholson when he would take his turn in Tim Burton’s 1989 adaptation but he just wasn’t frightening enough. One of the reasons the Joker elicits disdain is because he finds it amusing after he victimizes someone- he’s NOT supposed to be a character which audiences cheer for! In addition- I doubt the Joker would ever fall in love with Vicky Vale or any other woman for that matter. In fact Chris Nolan and company should pick an actor that will be so flamboyant that the implication is that the Joker will seem- dare I say it- gay! That’s the impression I’ve always got when I read the comics and I think Warner Bros. should follow suit. Finally I don’t think whoever happens to be in charge of the next upcoming Batman installment should allow the Joker to die at the conclusion of the film. After all the Joker can be used again in a future chapter even if that character’s appearance won’t be frequent.
i would love to see a r reated version for batman and joker should never die and who ever thinks that should rote
you guys all need to read the other blogs… Crispin Glover should play the role of the joker, hands down, no contest…. tall, thin, creepy, unassuming, psychotic… the freak-out you get from watching Glover is pretty much the freak-out you get in the best portrayals of the Joker… kind of a no-brainer… except the voice… need to work that out.
you guys all need to read the other blogs… Crispin Glover should play the role of the joker, hands down, no contest…. tall, thin, creepy, unassuming, psychotic… the freak-out you get from watching Glover is pretty much the freak-out you get in the best portrayals of the Joker… kind of no-brainer… except the voice… need to work that out.
you guys all need to read the other blogs… Crispin Glover should play the role of the joker, hands down, no contest…. tall, thin, creepy, unassuming, psychotic… the freak-out you get from watching Glover is pretty much the freak-out you get in the best portrayals of the Joker… kind of no-brainer… except the voice… need to work that out.
I’m thinking, and have been for almost 10 years that the perfect joker would be Christian Slater. He has a Jack Nicholson like face and a sick twisted demeanor – VERY BAD THINGS. The dude is insane and angry and comical all at the same time, and that’s his real life. Give it some thought. When it happens, know it was me who said it!
In the early 1970s, Denny O’Neil & Neal Adams reinvented the Joker in a story titled THE JOKER’S 5 WAY REVENGE. At the time, they have stated that their version of the Joker is and always had been gay. Instead of the typical over the top Joker, the BEGINS sequel should have a albino homicidal homosexual Joker.
Re: Tom’s comment
I think they did kinda skim over the Joker being caused by Batman with the talk of escalation, we get semi-automatics they get automatics, we get a caped crusader & now double homicide leaves a calling card ..
As for the whole ‘one bad day’ idea reminds me of Falling Down … Michael Douglas for Joker – any thoughts??
Sean Penn jus doesn’t seem right, he looks right but not sure he cud pull it off … but we cud be proven wrong, i mean when I heard about Falling Down & the concept of it I didn’t think Douglas was quite right for the part but he pulled it off very well.
Mark Hamill I see as a high potential candidate.
~ Some newfind mayn’t be a bad idea either’
http://galleryoftheabsurd.typepad.com/14/2005/06/casting_idea_fo.html
For you consideration as the next actor to play the Joker. :-)
Yeah, he did do the voices for the Joker in the cartoon but he wouldn’t fit in the movie. He doesn’t fit the profile of the Joker to well except for his good voice overs.
Saying that all comic book adaptations should take their lead from Batman Begins and the X-Men films (in particular X-2) is a very valid point. Both the X-Men films & Batman Begins are magnificent films that are essentially character driven (this may be because Christopher Nolan & Bryan Singer don’t do action particularly well). You actually care for the main protagonists in these films. But lets not forget the one and only Mr Raimi and his 2 Spider-man films. He set the benchmark for character driven, action filled comic book films that made the the likes of Christopher Nolan say “Yes you can make intelligent thoughtful blockbuster superhero movies” (yes I know Bryan Singer did X-Men before Sam Raimi did Spider-man but he didn’t really nail it until X-2).
Oh and I reckon it should be Mark Hamill for the Joker. Lets face it, he has the voice nailed, the slight build and prosthetics could be used to alter his face. It could definately work, trust me. If they can hide Micky Rourke’s dodgy looking botox face in Sin City, they can do anything.
whatever
at warners i work and i hear rumblings of eminem as the joker…at first i thought it was a joke but the brass are really into it and i now believe this would be incredible!
THE KILLING JOKE!?! OH MY GOD THAT WOULD BE GREAT TO SEE IN THE SEQUEL! IT would be so dark and twisted, not to mention sick and just down right perverted. If they kick it up a notch I bet people would actually puke and get the chills if they see it. That would be an “R” rating. Commisioner Gordon kidnapped by the Joker, stripped down naked by his midgit minions, and put on a rollercoaster ride while the Joker shows Gordon slides of his daughter, nasty slides. The Joker found where Gordon lives and shot his daughter Barbera in the chest, got her naked, and took pictures. That was great, but the rest of the elements in the story were rather, well, stupid and unappealing. Someone else turns into the new Joker, that kind of sucked.
If they want to do a dark Batman movie of the Joker then they should do Arkham Asylum, which is probably one of the darkest batman stories ever.
“Yhe Killing Joke”
What’s the name of that Alan Moore comic?
Greetings
As always, excellent site, great information.
SPOILERS BELOW. DONT READ IF YOU HAVEN’T SEEN MOVIE (and if you haven’t what in god’s name is wrong with you?)
I absolutely loved Batman Begins, and agree that everyone involved know exactly what they are doing. That being said, I had mixed feelings about the end with Gordon showing Batman the Joker’s calling card. Naturally I geeked out when I first saw it, but then I started thinking — doesn’t the ending suggest that the Joker has already started his life of crime? One of the key parts of the Joker’s origin (in the comic) is that Batman was indirectly responsible for his creation. Similar to Burton’s Batman, the Joker was part of a gang that ended up at a factory and — when the Batman attacked — he fell into chemicals that altered his skin color.
The major difference between the comic and the movie version we’ve seen before is that the most commonly accepted origin of the Joker in the books is that he was a very shy, unnasuming fellow that fell into the bad crowd because he was trying to make ends meet to support his wife and unborn child. Sadly, she dies and he ends up falling into the chemicals, subsequently going insane.
Essentially the Joker is Batman’s opposite, only instead of using the anguish from his tragedy for good, he snaps and uses it for evil. The whole story was told a few years ago by the ever talented Alan Moore.
I would love to see this all take place on the screen — Joker alter ego — unassuming, mousy, but loving and caring for his soon-to-be family. Suddenly he loses it all in ‘one bad day’ — and it brings him to a dark place. One that the only way he can find peace is by making people laugh – till they die.
Unfortunately, the end of the movie seems to indicate that we’ll already have the joker established as a bad guy. Fortunatley, I trust Nolan implicitly. And if he says he takes the original material seriously – I believe him. Now if we could just get some of these ridiculous Joker casting rumors out of her. Sean Penn. C’mon!
No problem there…actually I totally forgot about that, I’ve heard it so many times already, and I haven’t even seen the movie yet! Oh well.
Didn;t the Joker kill Robin in the comics? I think if they did that they could make me like Robin in the movie. They can make him not so campy. Have him set up Batman or something then just say he wants to help. Set up a master / apprentice thing like in Star Wars all while the Joker is being set up and then BAM! Joker kills him! It would make Joker that much more sinister.
In the hands of these guys I could see it working.
I heart Christian Bale. I really, really, really do. Especially hearing him speak about the undertones of the movie and sequels. He seems to be a bit of a leader for this newer version of the Batman franchise, and I for one, am enjoying that. By the way, why is the director of this movie never heard from or reported on by the media? Where the lavish praise for his work in all this blitz??? It’s like nothing else about the movie exists except his portrayer. That’s not right. I don’t like that part of the hype machine. Even Steven Speilberg is asked questions about his own movie and thoughts on TomKat and Scientology once in awhile.
i can only agree with what u have to say
Frank Miller’s vision of the Joker was great in all his comic book tales of the dark knight. Bob Kane created the Batman world we fell in love with. Many great writers and directors made the a great t.v. series in the 1960’s that many people fell in love with. Then we all got Tim Burton’s vision in movie form. He mixed up the caped crusader with the dark knight and created and abstract world for Batman. Then we all know Joel Schumacher tried to be Tim Burton when taking over the series and destroyed the world we began to fall in love with. SO we turned to great cartoon adaptations and continued to watch Burton’s films over and over again. Now we got the best possible outcome for a Batman movie with the great Batman Begins. Now we will get to see the Joker we have seen in Miller’s vision. A cruel unstopable mobman who becomes Batmans new fear and hate. We get to see blood baths in a sick and humorous tone. YES!!!!!!!! After waiting all these years our prays have been answered! I wonder if the sequel will be called Batman Returns ( i know its been done) but it fits right? Or how about Joker Begins? The title doesn’t friken matter anyways, these films ROCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks for the spoiler :|
I cant wait for the sequal!