How Would You Re-Image the Joker in a Batman Film 20 Yrs Down the Line...
#1
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How Would You Re-Image the Joker in a Batman Film 20 Yrs Down the Line...
I was thinking about this briefly today. We all know that Hollywood recycles everything, and there's no doubt that in anywhere between 10 and 25 years, we will see brand new versions of X-Men, Superman, Spiderman, Batman, etc.
Since everyone loves The Dark Knight and obviously Ledger as The Joker, I was wondering about the hurdles that a filmmaker would face in remaking the franchise, especially if the Joker is in the film.
While I know everyone considers Ledger's take on the character to be the holy grail, if in 20 yrs they decide to remake the Batman character and story, and it featured the Joker, how would you envision they spin the character? Assuming the character and tone was still dark as in the Burton/Nolan movies and not light and campy as in the Schumacher films, how would you re-image the Joker character so that he feels relatively fresh and new without seeming that the character/actor is biting off of Ledger (or even Nicholson), while also not attempting to feel like the Joker character they are giving the audience isn't something that we felt like we had seen before?
I think at the time, though I'm a bit too young to remember, the thought was that Nicholson brought something unique to the character. And the consensus is that Ledger brought something new and simultaneously encapsulated almost everything everyone wanted to see. At the same time, with Superhero characters, there's not necessarily a definitive way to imagine a character or story.
How could you see the Joker play out in a future film one or two decades from now?
Since everyone loves The Dark Knight and obviously Ledger as The Joker, I was wondering about the hurdles that a filmmaker would face in remaking the franchise, especially if the Joker is in the film.
While I know everyone considers Ledger's take on the character to be the holy grail, if in 20 yrs they decide to remake the Batman character and story, and it featured the Joker, how would you envision they spin the character? Assuming the character and tone was still dark as in the Burton/Nolan movies and not light and campy as in the Schumacher films, how would you re-image the Joker character so that he feels relatively fresh and new without seeming that the character/actor is biting off of Ledger (or even Nicholson), while also not attempting to feel like the Joker character they are giving the audience isn't something that we felt like we had seen before?
I think at the time, though I'm a bit too young to remember, the thought was that Nicholson brought something unique to the character. And the consensus is that Ledger brought something new and simultaneously encapsulated almost everything everyone wanted to see. At the same time, with Superhero characters, there's not necessarily a definitive way to imagine a character or story.
How could you see the Joker play out in a future film one or two decades from now?
#2
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Joker is EXTREME! he's a high-flying, slick purple pantsuit wearing music executive who watches his whole world crumble when his latest hot clients get cracked out and his careers spins out of control! after a weekend getaway at a Hollywood rehab clinic he finds his inner child and realizes he needs to get in touch with his real self! he goes on a daily diet of yoga and wheatgrass and learns to see the funny side of it all! life is nothing more than a huge joke because existence is an irrelevant nihilistic absurd meaningless venture!
#4
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If and when the time comes for another film incarnation, I suspect that it will reflect the fears and anxieties of the world of the time. Caesar Romero's Joker was a goofy, harmless prankster. Jack Nicholson's was a mobster who snapped. Heath Ledger's was a terroristic anarchist. Whatever it is that will unsettle the world in 20 years, that's what their Joker will be.
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I'd prefer him to be closer to the Batman Animated Series version myself.
I didn't care for The Dark Knight (oh no, shoot me!) too much. Two-Face and the Scarecrow's performance (in Begins) were much better to me than how they played the Joker out.
I didn't care for The Dark Knight (oh no, shoot me!) too much. Two-Face and the Scarecrow's performance (in Begins) were much better to me than how they played the Joker out.
#9
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Joker is EXTREME! he's a high-flying, slick purple pantsuit wearing music executive who watches his whole world crumble when his latest hot clients get cracked out and his careers spins out of control! after a weekend getaway at a Hollywood rehab clinic he finds his inner child and realizes he needs to get in touch with his real self! he goes on a daily diet of yoga and wheatgrass and learns to see the funny side of it all! life is nothing more than a huge joke because existence is an irrelevant nihilistic absurd meaningless venture!
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If and when the time comes for another film incarnation, I suspect that it will reflect the fears and anxieties of the world of the time. Caesar Romero's Joker was a goofy, harmless prankster. Jack Nicholson's was a mobster who snapped. Heath Ledger's was a terroristic anarchist. Whatever it is that will unsettle the world in 20 years, that's what their Joker will be.
It's hard to predict something like this. Before 9/11, it would have been difficult to imagine Nolan's/Ledger's take on the Joker being successful.
#11
DVD Talk Legend
My life got flipped-turned upside down
And I'd like to take a minute
Or two if I can
I'll tell you how I became the foe of a guy called Batman
In west Gothic City born and raised
At the circus was where I spent most of my days
Killin' peeps, wackin' attackin' all fools
And all shootin' some strangers outside of a school
When a couple of heroes
Who were fighting for good
Startin' making trouble in my neighborhood
I got in one little fight and the cops raised hell
They said 'You're movin' to an Arkham Asylum padded cell'
I escaped from the cops and the Batman was there
His batmobile was fresh and it had dice in the mirror
If anything I can say this car is awesome
But I thought 'Now forget it' - 'Yo home to Gotham'
I pulled in to the town about 7 or 8
And I yelled to the Batman 'Yo homes smell ya later'
I looked at my watch
It was finally time
To sit on my throne as the Clown Prince of Crime
#13
DVD Talk Limited Edition
Now, this is a story all about how
My life got flipped-turned upside down
And I'd like to take a minute
Or two if I can
I'll tell you how I became the foe of a guy called Batman
In west Gothic City born and raised
At the circus was where I spent most of my days
Killin' peeps, wackin' attackin' all fools
And all shootin' some strangers outside of a school
When a couple of heroes
Who were fighting for good
Startin' making trouble in my neighborhood
I got in one little fight and the cops raised hell
They said 'You're movin' to an Arkham Asylum padded cell'
I escaped from the cops and the Batman was there
His batmobile was fresh and it had dice in the mirror
If anything I can say this car is awesome
But I thought 'Now forget it' - 'Yo home to Gotham'
I pulled in to the town about 7 or 8
And I yelled to the Batman 'Yo homes smell ya later'
I looked at my watch
It was finally time
To sit on my throne as the Clown Prince of Crime
My life got flipped-turned upside down
And I'd like to take a minute
Or two if I can
I'll tell you how I became the foe of a guy called Batman
In west Gothic City born and raised
At the circus was where I spent most of my days
Killin' peeps, wackin' attackin' all fools
And all shootin' some strangers outside of a school
When a couple of heroes
Who were fighting for good
Startin' making trouble in my neighborhood
I got in one little fight and the cops raised hell
They said 'You're movin' to an Arkham Asylum padded cell'
I escaped from the cops and the Batman was there
His batmobile was fresh and it had dice in the mirror
If anything I can say this car is awesome
But I thought 'Now forget it' - 'Yo home to Gotham'
I pulled in to the town about 7 or 8
And I yelled to the Batman 'Yo homes smell ya later'
I looked at my watch
It was finally time
To sit on my throne as the Clown Prince of Crime
#15
DVD Talk Legend
In 20 years, CGI animation, motion capture, and 3D technology should be advanced enough to give us an immersive Batman movie experience with characters that look like their caricatured hand-drawn origins.
I like Nolan's films and I hope we get at least one more that maintains the tone and style of his first two, but the next time around I'd like to see something different.