Article by Eric Lee
Director Todd Phillips has confirmed that The Joker will be rated R.
On Instagram, Phillips posted a new image of Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker applying make up in the mirror. The picture of the half-done Clown Prince of Crime sports the caption: “Finishing touches.”
In the comments section, Phillips responded to fans’ queries about the film’s rating. According to him, the movie will be rated R. Here is Phillip’s exact quote:
“[sic] it will be Rated R. I’ve been asked this a lot. Just assumed people knew. Sorry.”
Rated R DC Movies
Phillips’ confirmation of Joker being rated R is not surprising. The looks of the tease implies a heavy crime drama that is more in-line with Shutter Island, than-say- Aquaman. This seems to be a new trend for DC movies. Last week, Margot Robbie also stated that Birds of Prey is going to be rated R too.
While a hard R rating is appropriate for characters like the Joker or Harley Quinn, it is not so for Superman or Aquaman. In Joker’s case, it makes sense to rate a movie based on the personal director’s vision. It would be a shame if Phillips was forced to water down the film to make a PG-13 rating.
Joker hits theaters October 4, 2019.