'Joker' director says online chatter about his twisted origin movie hasn't been accurate, and shares first trailer that evokes 'Taxi Driver'

Warner Bros.

Joaquin Phoenix in "Joker."

• The first teaser of "Joker" went online Wednesday and it has a twisted "Taxi Driver"-like feel.
• The movie stars Joaquin Phoenix as the legendary DC Comics villain and is directed by Todd Phillips ("The Hangover" movies).
• Phillips told the audience of theaters owners and press at CinemaCon on Tuesday night in Las Vegas, where the footage was first shown, that most of the stuff about the movie that's been written online is not accurate.
• "I guess that's what happens when you set out to do an origin story about a character that doesn't have a definitive origin," he said.
• "Joker" hits theaters October 4.

The first footage of Todd Phillips' origin story tale of DC Comics villain the Joker is finally here.

Warner Bros. released a teaser of the movie on Wednesday, starring Joaquin Phoenix as the man before becoming the Clown Prince of Crime. This follows the footage being show Tuesday at CinemaCon, the annual convention for theater owners in Las Vegas, which Business Insider is attending this week. As part of Warner Bros. showing off its 2019 slate, Phillips came out and introduced the teaser to a packed house of exhibitors and press.

He said the movie was still "taking shape," and that most of the chatter about the movie online "hasn't been very accurate." He added: "I guess that's what happens when you set out to do an origin story about a character that doesn't have a definitive origin."

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But he did give a little hint about the movie's tone, saying "it's a tragedy."

The teaser certainly has that feel. Phoenix plays the character Arthur as a sad clown. He's someone who seems very attached to his mother and finds love at home but outside, in a very grimy and dangerous Gotham City, is often picked on and violently attacked. Then it seems something finally snaps in Arthur, or maybe it was always there and circumstances lead the other side of him to finally come out.

But his descent into madness has a very Travis-Bickle-in-"Taxi-Driver" feel. The only difference is Travis wanted to wipe the scum off the streets of New York, and it seems in "Joker" Arthur wants to be the leader of the scum of Gotham.

We'll find out what happens when "Joker" hits theaters October 4.

In the meantime, here's the first teaser: