Principal photography took place in New York City, Jersey City and Newark, from September to December 2018. Phoenix became attached in February 2018 and was cast that July, while the majority of the cast signed on by August. The film loosely adapts plot elements from Batman: The Killing Joke (1988), and The Dark Knight Returns, but Phillips and Silver otherwise did not look to specific comics for inspiration. The two were inspired by 1970s character studies and the films of Martin Scorsese, particularly Taxi Driver (1976) and The King of Comedy (1982), who was initially attached to the project as a producer. Phillips conceived Joker in 2016 and wrote the script with Silver throughout 2017. Pictures and DC Films in association with Village Roadshow Pictures, Bron Creative and Joint Effort. Pictures, Joker was produced by Warner Bros. Robert De Niro, Zazie Beetz and Frances Conroy appear in supporting roles. Set in 1981, it follows Arthur Fleck, a failed clown and aspiring stand-up comic whose descent into mental illness and nihilism inspires a violent countercultural revolution against the wealthy in a decaying Gotham City. The film, based on DC Comics characters, stars Joaquin Phoenix as Joker. Joker is a 2019 American psychological thriller film directed by Todd Phillips, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Scott Silver.
