Zazie Beetz Reveals The Whole Script For JOKER Was Rewritten While They Shot It
There was a full script for DC’s upcoming Joker by director Todd Phillips before they started shooting the film. Well, according to Zazie Beetz, who plays Sophie Dumond in the film, the whole things was rewritten as they shot the movie. While talking to MTV, she explained:
“We rewrote the whole thing while we were shooting it. Literally, we would go into Todd [Phillips]’ trailer and then write the scene for the night and then do it.”
That may sound like an interesting way to go about doing things, but it’s not uncommon. However, I don’t think it’s common for the whole script to be rewritten.
Armie Hammer was with her in the interview and he joked, “Man, the writer of that script is going to be so pissed to hear you say that.” Beetz went on to clarify “He was there, too, he was helping out.” Obviously, since they were doing the rewrites in Todd Phillips’ trailer. But, I imagine his co-writer Scott Silver (The Fighter, 8 Mile) was there as well. She added:
“During hair and make-up, we’d memorize those lines and then do them, and then we’d reshoot that three weeks later. We had to do everything then because Joaquin [Phoenix] had lost so much weight that we couldn’t do reshoots later on so we were figuring it out. But Todd’s quick at getting stuff done so we always had extra time. Which was great.”
The film is set in the 80s and it will tell the explorative story “of a man disregarded by society [that] is not only a gritty character study but also a broader cautionary tale."
Joker is "meant to be different from other comic book superhero movies". The story is also said to "delve into what it took for the Joker to become a mastermind criminal" and rumor has it that the film’s story will revolve around Arthur Fleck, a failed comedian whose failures lead him into a life of crime.
The film also stars Joaquin Phoenix, Robert De Niro, Frances Conroy, Dante Pereira-Olson, and Marc Maron. De Niro will play a reporter; Conroy will play Joker's mother, Penny; Beetz will play a hardened single mother who has been beaten down by her time living in Gotham City; and Pereira-Olsen will play a young Bruce Wayne.
Joker will be released in theaters on October 4th, 2019.