With a release date of early October, there’s still a few sleeps yet before the release of Joaquin Phoenix’s highly anticipated Joker movie, still, that doesn’t mean we can’t be wildly excited at the possibilities.

In an exclusive with Empire magazine, the team behind the film have offered up a cheeky bump of what to expect, and it’s pure, uncut awesomeness.

Today we can marvel at two new images from the film. Both images offer slightly different takes on the duelling egos of main character Arthur Fleck, who’s name was confirmed come time back.

That Fleck would be showcasing The Joker by donning clown make up was never a secret, but the new images suggest that the dichotomy between Fleck and his Joker alter ego will be of particular importance to the character.

Speaking to Empire, Joker writer and director Todd Phillips has revealed that they didn’t re-hash any previously covered Joker origin story, and instead decided to tell their own.

Over the years, The Joker has been a member of The Red Hood gang, some weird pseudo gangster, and also a Robin after Tim Drake, the third Robin, was brain washed into becoming the Clown Prince Of Crime himself.

“We didn’t follow anything from the comic-books, which people are gonna be mad about,” Phillips explains of their decision. “We just wrote our own version of where a guy like Joker might come from.

Love Film & TV?

Get the latest Film & TV news, features, updates and giveaways straight to your inbox Learn more

“That’s what was interesting to me. We’re not even doing Joker, but the story of becoming Joker. It’s about this man.”

What we know so far from the thrilling trailer is that Fleck will be a damaged, isolated man seemingly on a downward spiral. It would seem there’s a little bit of Norman Bates in there with a slash of the Co-Ed Killer but with Joaquin Phoenix behind the clown make up, there’s no point trying to guess what kind of multitudes his character will contain.

Get unlimited access to the coverage that shapes our culture.
to Rolling Stone magazine
to Rolling Stone magazine