Heath ledger is the Joker

lostexpectation

So the rumour goes. :eek:

Wasn't the main villian in Batman begins not very scary.

Doctor DooM

Mark Hamill is also rumoured... any proof?

Kingp35

You better be very very wrong!!!

Pigman II

I could actually see Heath Ledger.

Mark Hamill = no way! (even if he 'the' Joker imho after TAS).

Vokes

"From a very trusted source" according to lots of reports on google news.

Nevyn

Gah no heath is the wrong build and his face is too broad for it.
The Mark Hamil rumours are from him voicing the cartoon as The Joker.

Marksie

perhaps the joker and batman will go herding sheep somewhere

Wondervwhat will be in that utility belt then

JCDenton

I'm surprised there wasn't a thread on this sooner!

Latest info courtesy of batman on film .com

As rumored and expected, The Joker is going to be nothing like Nicholson’s version from B89. “What would be the point in trying to recreate something that was done so well then?”

Expect to see a back story for The Joker and we shouldn’t expect to see him until the middle of the film. “Like Batman in BEGINS.”

The Joker will not be the only villain in the film. “I know you’ve heard this before but trust me -- Nolan and his brother have a couple of surprises up their sleeves!”

Plus, check out
http://www.batman-on-film.com/batmovienews.html

for a very interesting rumour about a second villain!

Vokes

Hoffman as Penguin would be good.

Doctor DooM

I was merely pointing out the Hamill thing to show that rumours are rumours, I dont believe Ledger is Joker til I get something more concrete.

rizzla

Apparently theres meant to be a few villians. I heard the rumour wasn't for Ledger to play The Joker but Harvey Dent/Two-Face.

possible spoilers :

Joker turns Harvey Dent into Two-Face near the end, Joker doesn't die and the third is meant to be about Two-Face and Joker's trial. And The Penguin is an international arms dealer.

humanji

I heard Paul Bethany is also being considered for Joker, but again, just a rumour, time will tell.

iregk

Apparently Ledger has officially been stamped as the Joker. Don't quite see it myself but I do think he is a great actor and skill wise he could pull it off I think. I'd give him the shot anyway.

Also apparently the sequal is going to be called: " The Dark Knight ". Classy.

I think Ledger could actually pull of the Joker. And Thaey, with make-up technology (if thats what you could call it) the way it is, I'm pretty sure the shape of his face would be an issue.

Bring back Danny di Vito as Penguin !?!?!?!

robnubis

Its been confirmed by WB that its Heat as the Joker and tje film to be called "Batman: The Dark Knight".

I was hoping for Robin Williams to be the joker, just have a look at Insomnia or one Hour Photo tbh.

Redundo

Williams plays a dead-pan psycho in Insomnia. The Joker is a manic psychopath, big difference. I don't think Robin Williams would suit at all, the thought of it reminds me of the other Batman movies that already killed the franchise once.

I'm pretty certain that whatever Nolan has planned for his Joker, it will be different from what people are normally used to. All the characters have been re-imagined to some extent so far (and done well), so there's no reason to expect the Joker will be exactly as per the comics or cartoons. Ledger may well be the perfect fit for Nolans Joker.

Nevyn

It depends how early into the jokers story arc the stroyline is.
Ledger certainly has the physical grace and presence for the more merry fits the Joker has when he is whimsical and for when he is meancing.
But the break in the Joker's physce was gradual after the accident.

The Gnome

I don't know about this at all, Ledger is good but I'm not sure he'll have the simmering menace the Joker usually exudes.

If Nolan is to take the Joker in a different direction I'd personally like to see a portrayal of The Big J in Arkham Asylum which I think would fit in with Nolans darker take on Batman.

Nevyn

Considering the the first film set up the exporation of the earlier story arcs it could be that we will se the destruction of the mob in Gotham by Bats and what led the Joker from strongarm to super villain. There is a lot of despair in the Joker which is why he needs the whimiscal to ligthen his dark moods.

BlitzKrieg

Come on Harley Quinn!

gosplan

robnubis wrote:

Its been confirmed by WB that its Heat as the Joker and tje film to be called "Batman: The Dark Knight".

I was hoping for Robin Williams to be the joker, just have a look at Insomnia or one Hour Photo tbh.

I'm not sure why people want performances they know from actors they've seen for these films. IMO the strongest thing about Batman Begins was Christian Bale, Cillian Murphy and Gary Oldman. The simple reason was that they were different roles to the ones you've sen them in before, the actors were forced to be original and it made the movie.

They should pick the actor for the joker by looking at the best joker-defining comic, for me 'the killing joke' by Alan Moore. Then see what actors can play that part.

Not stuff like, 'oh he was good in this', 'or I'd like to see that again'.

Thats not original, it's just bits of other films that the producers know an audience will like......or boring in another word.

Nevyn

Well you see, she is a bit of an anomaly as she was created for the cartoon series and was not a charchter from the comics or a chachter in her own right at first. The only on in DC that I am aware of ( there is one in Marvel mind ).
She did eventually go on to her own title but she is not part of the orginal Batman early years story or that of the Joker's early story either.

It would be fantastic to get a relative unknown to play the role of the Joker, kind of the same idea in Superman Returns. This probably wont happen though..

They should bring back the original joker from the movie. Sure he's been dead since 1994, but with the right amount of make-up, fish wire, and CGI, he'll be as right as rain!

I've said it since before Batman Begins, Dominic West is the Joker. He is easily on of the most talented actors around, anyone who begs to differ should check him out as McNulty in the TV series "The Wire".

evad_lhorg

It is true. new film is called the dark knight and heath ledger is the joker :rolleyes:

http://filmforce.ign.com/articles/722/722015p1.html

Kingp35

I really dont think Ledger is right for the part. Im not sure if he has the acting ability or presence to play a psychopath.

Its als rumoured that Ryan Phillippe is in line to play Harvey Dent.

JCDenton

Despite whether he's good enough or otherwise, at least Heath Ledger's pretty young.

I mean, if the sequel(s) turn out to just get better and better then the entire cast should be able to reprise their roles for many many films. The Joker is Batman's eternal arch-nemesis after all, right?

Wacker

I think Heath Ledger definately has the ability and presence. He does not however have the look, i.e. he is not particularly tall or thin. However, this does not have to be a problem. Whenever people talk about Jack Nicholson as the Joker, they never seem to mention his physical disparity from the classical image of him.
While the look does count, it all comes down to the direction, writing and the acting. Jack Nicholson played the part fine, but the writing and directing was simply awful. Seriously, what the hell ere they doing putting Batman and Joker in a love triangle with Vicky Vale? The Joker would be more likely to simply blow Vale away on account of the fact that Batman is interested in her than to try and take her for himself.
Nicholson nailed the crazy part, but he never properly came across as properly evil. As someone who will put a bomb in a room full of babies, for no real reason at all, as he did in a comic.
Based on the brilliant Batman Begins, I think Nolan and Ledger will get it right. He managed to make the villians really good in different ways; Crane as really creepy and horrifying with the mask on and Rhas as powerful and uncompromising. Now, I'm a huge Batman comic book fan, but I'll happily admit that Rhas and Scarecrow are not the best villians are. Joker are Two-Face are, in my opinion. Based on how he did I am very confident that Nolan will make Joker properly terrifying.
In synopsis, Heath Ledger and Christopher Nolan will probably make the Joker brilliant, despite Ledger not looking the part.

Baggly

Deleted User wrote:

I've said it since before Batman Begins, Dominic West is the Joker. He is easily on of the most talented actors around, anyone who begs to differ should check him out as McNulty in the TV series "The Wire".

linky

lostexpectation

JCDenton wrote:

Despite whether he's good enough or otherwise, at least Heath Ledger's pretty young.

I mean, if the sequel(s) turn out to just get better and better then the entire cast should be able to reprise their roles for many many films. The Joker is Batman's eternal arch-nemesis after all, right?

he got quite a big mouth http://members.aol.com/strangecastro/BBHeathSmileCup4Inch.jpg

spacecoyote

Yeah, i wouldn't have thought ledger would have the build for it, but could probably pull it off. Would have thought someone like Ed Norton or Adrien Brodie could pull it off, i can imagine both of them with that manic smile on their faces

Goodshape

I reckon ledger will be alright as the Joker. I think the fact that it's hard to see him as a twisted psychopath could work in the films favor and make his transformation into the joker more hard hitting.

Nicholson, in contrast, always looks a bit twisted. That's one of my major criticisms of Kubrick's The Shining too... there was no transformation there; he looked like a crazy fooker from the start.

missingtime

Ralph Fiennes for the joker

Wacker

missingtime wrote:

Ralph Fiennes for the joker

I think it is a bit late now for suggesting people at this stage, don't you?

Playboy

Personally I thought Sean Penn or Crispin Glover would have been good. Heath Ledger does have the talent to pull it off imo. I also think that he isnt too far off the look, he is tall, slim and has a huge mouth.

lostexpectation

spacecoyote wrote:

Yeah, i wouldn't have thought ledger would have the build for it, but could probably pull it off. Would have thought someone like Ed Norton or Adrien Brodie could pull it off, i can imagine both of them with that manic smile on their faces

actually they wouldnt' have been too bad either neither of them have done the manic villain thing.

Karl Hungus

Crispin Glover was definetly the man I saw as The Joker. I don't know how Heath Ledger will work out, but I wouldn't really make any second guesses here, as I think Christopher Nolan knows what he's doing. I'm just going to wait and see before making any judgement calls.

Tusky

Karl Hungus wrote:

Crispin Glover was definetly the man I saw as The Joker. I don't know how Heath Ledger will work out, but I wouldn't really make any second guesses here, as I think Christopher Nolan knows what he's doing. I'm just going to wait and see before making any judgement calls.

Im the same... dont know what to make of it but have complete faith in Nolan.

Brow

Glover was meant to be campaigning for the part where Nolan never really mentioned him in contention.

some choices made above are good, particularly Ed Norton but I'd have also like to see Steve Buscemi in the role.

Any thoughts on Ryan Phillipe as possible Two Face? It's a heavy rumour and with previous rumours of Justin Timberlake I think Nolan is going for someone popular amongst the ladies only to heavily disfigure.

lostexpectation

Brow wrote:

Glover was meant to be campaigning for the part where Nolan never really mentioned him in contention.

some choices made above are good, particularly Ed Norton but I'd have also like to see Steve Buscemi in the role.

Any thoughts on Ryan Phillipe as possible Two Face? It's a heavy rumour and with previous rumours of Justin Timberlake I think Nolan is going for someone popular amongst the ladies only to heavily disfigure.

exactly who wouldn't like to throw acid at justin timberlake

missingtime

Why did they have to bring up The Joker again anyway? No one will ever top Jack Nicholsons' performance.

aidan_walsh

missingtime wrote:

Why did they have to bring up The Joker again anyway?

Probably because he is the iconic Batman villain.

Tusky

missingtime wrote:

Why did they have to bring up The Joker again anyway? No one will ever top Jack Nicholsons' performance.

Cant have a series of Batman films without the Joker, is like toast without butter.

Brow

I liked Jack as the Joker but all the hardcore comic readers hate that portrail of the Joker. They say he was too goofy and not nearly sinister or creepy enough. Nolan wants a creepier rendition. I think he's gonna be more ugly and less purple in this film.

Goodshape

Brow wrote:

I liked Jack as the Joker but all the hardcore comic readers hate that portrail of the Joker. They say he was too goofy and not nearly sinister or creepy enough. Nolan wants a creepier rendition. I think he's gonna be more ugly and less purple in this film.

Agreed. Jack was great for the film that Burton's Batman was, but I can't wait to see what Nolan does with the character.

Batman Begins has started a far more interesting world and Jack Nicholson's Joker doesn't belong in it, and rightly so.

Still waiting for the enevitable photoshop mock-ups of Ledger as the Joker.. anyone find any?

He can pull off a wide grin at least : http://people.smartchat.net.au/~jhml/heathledger/Images/heath10.jpg
(could do with looking a bit more evil than that though).

Vokes

http://www.darkhorizons.com/news06/060720i.php
Not scary at all....but as a previous poster said, Nolan's Joker will prob be wearing a little less purple, and far more sinister.

Pigman II

I think in 89 Jack Nicholson did a great impression of Jack Nicholson, but that wasn't the Joker - at least not the Joker in my mind.

I hope the Nolan Sequel continues to raise the bar by delivering a real definitive Joker and not just some guy hamming it up for 2 hours.

missingtime

Fair points, I suppose. Didn't realise that the 'hardcore' Batman readers didnt like Jacks performance.
Hopefully it'l be done well though.

Brow

SofaKing wrote:

http://www.darkhorizons.com/news06/060720i.php
Not scary at all....but as a previous poster said, Nolan's Joker will prob be wearing a little less purple, and far more sinister.

Sure he doesnt look look scary at all there, but theyre going to disfigure the hell out of him. One artist rendition from ages ago is as follows. I threw in Two Face as well. It would be great to see that image on the big screen.

missingtime

Now i know what they mean by the Joker being a bit too 'goofy' in the original batman.
If they made him like that would be nuts. Once its not too glossy though.

quazzy

Hi all,

Just wondering if its confirmed that Two Face is going to be in the new batman film or is it just speculation???

Q