Venice Film Festival Director Says Joaquin Phoenix’s ‘Joker Will Go To The Oscars

Venice artistic director Alberto Barbera predicts Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker will be heading to the Oscars this awards season.

This week, it was announced that Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker will hold its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival before screening at the Toronto International Film Festival. The inclusion of Joker at two prestigious film festivals is an honor rarely if ever bestowed on comic book-based movies, fueling speculation that the Joaquin Phoenix project will become a major awards season contender this fall.

In an interview with Variety, Venice artistic chief Alberto Barbera noted Joker director Todd Phillips was the one who pushed for the Joaquin Phoenix film to compete at the festival in Venice. Barbera then noted that Joker is “the most surprising” entry they have at the 2019 Venice Film Festival before predicting the Joaquin Phenix film will be present at the Oscars next year:

I have to say, Warners was convinced pretty rapidly, because it’s a really surprising film. It’s the most surprising film we’ve got this year…This one’s going straight to the Oscars even though it’s gritty, dark, violent. It has amazing ambition and scope.

The 76th Venice Film Festival will be held from August 28 to September 7.

Here is the official synopsis for Joker:

“Joker” centers around the iconic arch nemesis and is an original, standalone story not seen before on the big screen. Phillips’ exploration of Arthur Fleck (Phoenix), a man disregarded by society, is not only a gritty character study, but also a broader cautionary tale.

Directed by Todd Phillips from a script he co-wrote with Scott Silver, Joker stars Joaquin Phoenix, Zazie Beetz, Bill Camp, Frances Conroy, Brett Cullen, Glenn Fleshler, Douglas Hodge, Marc Maron, Josh Pais, and Shea Whigham.

Joker will be released in theaters on October 4, 2019.

Source: Variety