He’s one of the most iconic characters in movies, in comics, in pop culture full-stop. He’s been portrayed by some of the most beloved and renowned actors of all time. And yet you’ve never seen the Joker like you will in Todd Phillips’ Joker____. The new August 2019 issue of Empire takes a world-exclusive first look at DC’s dark and dangerous drama: a psychological crime-thriller that brings a brand new take on one of the greatest villains of all time, gives him an origin story and places Joaquin Phoenix under the clown make-up. We head into the editing suite with Phillips, and talk to Phoenix and producer Bradley Cooper about the radical comic-book movie that breaks all the rules.
On this month’s covers you’ll find exclusive portrayals of Phoenix’s Arthur Fleck – and his notorious clown-prince counterpart. Above is the newsstand version, while subscribers receive the following beauty, shot especially for Empire by Niko Tavernise. Keep an eye out for it arriving through your letter box soon – we hope it'll cause you to put on a happy face.
Elsewhere in the issue we've got an exclusive interview with Get Out and Us director Jordan Peele; spoilerific secrets of Spider-Man: Far From Home and Stranger Things; all the usual news and reviews; and, as always, much more.
Keep an eye out in the coming days for more about the August issue of Empire – and prepare to pick up your copy on Thursday 11 July. If you want the magazine delivered direct to your door every month, with stunning exclusive cover designs like the above to boot, sign up for a subscription here.