DC fans celebrate Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker film making it to official competition at Venice Film Festival

DC and Batman fans are celebrating the inclusion of Joaquin Phoenix’s upcoming Joker movie in the official competition section of the Venice Film Festival.

DC fans are reacting to the inclusion of director Todd Phillips’ upcoming Batman spin-off film, Joker, in the official competition at the prestigious Venice Film Festival. The film is an origin story of the popular Batman villain, played by Joaquin Phoenix.

Three-time Oscar nominee Joaquin Phoenix as the Joker.

The DC film will also hold a lavish premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival ahead of its October release during what is considered a prime slot of awards recognition.

Several fans took to Twitter to celebrate the announcement and to share the news with other fans. One person posted a picture of actors Joaquin Phoenix and Robert Pattinson, who also has a movie at Venice and will play Batman in an upcoming film by director Matt Reeves.

Others commended Warner Bros for swinging big with the film, after the studio skipped the San Diego Comic-Con. “Warner Bros and Phillips must be pretty confident,” one person wrote. Another fan pointed out that Phoenix has been nominated for three Oscars, but hasn’t won yet. “Could this be his year?”

Previously, the character has been played by Oscar-winners Jack Nicholson, Heath Ledger and Jared Leto in films, and by Cesar Romero and Mark Hamill on TV.

Joker also stars Robert De Niro, Zazie Beetz, Mark Maron and Frances Conroy, and is said to be inspired by Martin Scorsese’s films such as Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, and The King of Comedy.

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