"Joker" Gets 8-Minute Standing Ovation at Venice Film Festival

The "Joker" received an eight-minute standing ovation during its world premiere at Venice Film Festival on Saturday night.

The film, starring Joaquin Phoenix as Batman’s nemesis and directed by Todd Phillips, is already sparking awards buzz, with Venice artistic director Alberto Barbera saying it is headed “straight to the Oscars”.

It also co-stars Brett Cullen as Batman’s dad Thomas Wayne, Robert De Niro as talk show host, Murray Franklin, Zazie Beetz as Sophie Dumond, Arthur’s love interest, as well as Marc Maron, Bill Camp, and Shea Whigham.

The joker, written by Phillips and Scott Silver, is rated R for strong bloody violence and disturbing behavior.

The film’s director also revealed that Joker’s story will be completely original, and will not follow any previously published comic books that feature the character.

Warner Bros. has stressed previously that the film will have no effect on its DC Universe, in which Jared Leto plays the Joker, most recently in “Suicide Squad.”

It is also developing a standalone Joker film that will operate within the DC Universe and star Leto.

The filming began in September 2018. The movie is rumored to be working with a roughly $55 million budget.

Over the past months, fans wondered if the film will feature Batman in it, unfortunately, it does not look that way as it is not connected to the DC Extended Universe series of movies, so it is a different version of the Joker that appeared in Suicide Squad.

However, Wayne will appear, along with his trusty butler Alfred, and Wayne’s ill-fated father, proposing the movie is set before Bruce Wayne was orphaned and set to become Batman.

Phoenix’s Joker is scheduled to hit theaters Oct. 4, 2019.

After Venice, “Joker” heads to Toronto for another festival bow.