Joker is heading back to IMAX theaters for a one-week only engagement. Warner Bros. has decided to try and further capitalize on what has already been an incredibly successful endeavor for them with a new limited IMAX rerelease. Another way to look at it is that this will give moviegoers the chance to see the movie again, or possibly for the first time, in a premium format before it hits home video later this month.
Director Todd Phillips broke the news himself. The filmmaker took to Instagram to reveal some artwork for the IMAX engagement, which features Joaquin Phoenix in his full Joker get-up walking the streets of Gotham City. Phillips had this to say about it in the caption he provided with the artwork.
“Starting Friday (12/6) we are back on IMAX screens across the country. Last chance to see it on the big screen (in the best format)… Also thanks to American Film Institute for including Joker on the years 10 best. #Joker, we still here.”
This is rather convenient as it’s set to be a relatively slow weekend at the box office, with Playmobil: The Movie serving as the only new wide release. For Warner Bros., this can only serve to add more icing to an already thoroughly iced cake. As of this writing, Joker has already made $1.05 billion at the global box office. Joker even beat Batman V Superman at the box office. Considering the R-rated, gritty DC Comics adaptation was viewed as a serious risk ahead of its release, that’s pretty amazing. The success is only amplified thanks to the movie’s relatively small budget, which is said to be in the $55 million range.
Joker is now poised to become the most profitable comic book movie ever made as a result. The financial success goes along with a great deal of critical praise, which started when the movie took home the top prize at the Venice Film Festival earlier this year. Joaquin Phoenix, specifically, has earned widespread praise for his performance as Arthur Fleck, the man who goes on to become the Clown Prince of Crime. It’s expected that Phoenix will be a major contender for this year’s Best Actor Oscar.
Originally, Todd Phillips was adamant that this was meant to be a one-and-done thing. However, the tremendous success has made a sequel possible, as it’s something Warner Bros. surely wants. That said, Phillips and Phoenix haven’t yet signed on for Joker 2, at least not officially. The rest of the cast includes Robert De Niro, Zazie Beetz, Frances Conroy, Brett Cullen, Glenn Fleshler, Bill Camp, Shea Whigham and Marc Maron. Those who wish to check out Joker in IMAX, be sure to check local listings starting this weekend. For those who are content to wait until they can watch in the comfort of their own home, Joker arrives on Digital HD December 17, with the Blu-ray/DVD and 4K Ultra HD release set for January 7. Be sure to check out the post from Todd Phillips’ Instagram for yourself.
