JOKER Director Todd Phillips Reveals Whether We'll See Deleted Scenes Or An Extended Cut Of The Movie

JOKER Director Todd Phillips Reveals Whether We'll See Deleted Scenes Or An Extended Cut Of The Movie

We know that the original cut of Joker was a good thirty minutes longer than what ended up in theaters, & now Todd Phillips has addressed the possibility of deleted scene or an extended cut. Check it out!

By JoshWilding - Oct 18, 2019 01:10 AM EST
Filed Under: Joker
Source: Collider
It's previously been revealed that the original cut of Joker was around thirty minutes longer than the theatrical version, so that surely means we have a lot of deleted scenes, and possibly even a director's cut to look forward to, right? Unfortunately not, according to director Todd Phillips. 

"I hate f**king extended cuts. I hate deleted scenes. They’re deleted for a reason," he explained. "The movie that exists is exactly the movie I want it to be and I will never show a deleted scene."

"While I don’t like deleted scenes, we did cut this fun thing together... of [Joker] walking out on Murray Franklin, because every time the guy would go, Murray would stand and go, ‘Please welcome Joker,' and the curtains would open and he comes out and does something different every time."

"[The] thing in the movie, he spins, he kisses the woman. But we cut this thing together of ‘Please welcome Joker,’ and I don’t know, we did it 13 times maybe, and they’re all different and they’re so funny and there’s so many good ones. I was like, ‘Oh, I wonder why I didn’t use that one?'"
 
So, there are definitely some noteworthy scenes that didn't make the final cut. However, it may not be up to Phillips whether we see them or not because Warner Bros. could struggle to entice fans to buy the Blu-ray if there's little in the way of extra content on the disc. 
 
Joaquin Phoenix reportedly wanted bloopers to play over the end credits, so, if nothing else, we'll hopefully get to see those. What do you guys think? Let us know your thoughts in the usual place!

Hit the "View List" button to check out the best Easter
Eggs, references, and cameos we spotted in Joker!

Zorro The Gay Blade

Zorro


One of the most direct references to the comic books in Joker comes when we see Thomas and Martha Wayne leading Bruce out of a movie theater where they've been watching Zorro the Gay Blade.

That was obviously the movie the Waynes watched in the comics before they were gunned down, but rather than Bruce dragging them out because he's scared, it seems they're just trying to escape the unrest on the streets of Gotham. It's worth noting that this movie was released in 1981, which confirms that Joker is also set during that year. 
 

"Super Rats"

Ratcatcher


Early on in the movie, we see a news report mentioning that Gotham City has been invaded by "super rats." Batman has never faced a gigantic rat in the comics, but there is a villain called Ratcatcher.

His real name is Otis Flannegan and he uses his a preternatural ability to train rodents to commit crimes. There's nothing to indicate that's what's happening here, of course, but it's possible it's a nod to the villain! 
 

Justin Theroux's Unexpected Cameos

Justin


Justin Theroux has seemingly become the master of noteworthy cameos in big franchises, because after his brief appearance in Star Wars: The Last Jedi, he shows up in Joker as well. 

We see him when Arthur is playing that tape of Murray Franklin welcoming a guest named Ethan Chase on the show to promote something called American Playboy. It's hard to tell, but that is indeed Theroux who makes this small, but still really fun little cameo in the DC Comics movie.
 

The Franklin Murray Show

Joker23


As has already been noted online, the font used for "Live With Murray Franklin" is the same we saw in the Batman: The Animated Series titles. It's not the only nod on this show, though. 

Arthur's dressing room is #404. That was the first chapter in Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli's iconic Batman: Year One, a story that doesn't necessarily inspire what we see in Joker, but definitely has the same tone. The 1980s setting is also the same and this could be where Todd Phillips looked for inspiration for his take on Gotham City. 
 

A Obscure DC Comics Villain

Arthur-Penny


Look closely and you'll notice that Dr. Benjamin Stoner is responsible for Penny Fleck's diagnosis. Well, in the comics, a Dr. Stone was also part of Arkham Asylum during the 1980s and he later went on to become a rather obscure Doctor Fate villain! 

There's another possible Easter Egg with Detective Burke, one of the cops pursuing Arthur. We don't learn his first name, but there was a Tommy Burke who was a detective in the pages of Detective Comics and Gotham Central. However, he doesn't seem to have much in common with this version.
 

Bryan Callen's Cameo

Callen


If you've got sharp ears, you might notice that one of Arthur's co-workers is played by Bryan Callen, the comedian and actor who played Eddie in Todd Phillips' Hangover movies. 

He said on a podcast a while back that he had been cast as an ageing stripper in Joker, so chances are he was meant to have a larger part which got cut down either for timing issues, or because he revealed more than Warner Bros. wanted him to! With any luck, he'll make it into the deleted scenes.
 

Pogo's Comedy Club

Arthur


Arthur performs his admittedly terrible stand up set in Pogo's Comedy Club, and there's probably a good reason it's named that. It's not because it's based on an iconic location, however; instead, Pogo the Clown was actually serial killer John Wayne Gacy's "respectable" alias.

This is a dark hint at what's to come for Arthur later in the movie and a very clever little touch. 
 

Charlie Chaplin's Modern Times

Chaplin


When Arthur manages to track down his "father" Thomas Wayne in that theater, the film playing is 1936 comedy Modern Times starring Charlie Chaplin. 

This film was actually added to the Library of Congress in the US National Film Registry in 1989 as it was deemed "culturally significant." The movie is a commentary on poor working conditions in the industrial age and there are themes in there which are definitely relevant to Joker and our world.
 

The Dark Knight Returns

Joker-Talk-Show


Joker's appearance on Franklin Murray's talk show is very similar to The Dark Knight Returns, as he commits a similarly violent act in that story. 

However, another nod comes when Joker plants a kiss on a fellow guest. Dr. Sally has to be a nod to Dr. Ruth Weisenheimer from Frank Miller's seminal tale, so Todd Phillips clearly paid some attention to the source material when crafting this particular scene in the DC Comics adaptation. 
 

"TW"

Fleck12


This is easily missed on a first viewing, but when Arthur is putting on his makeup, he picks up a photo of his mother as a young woman with a message on the back reading, "Love your smile, TW."

He quickly crumples that up and dismisses it, but this could very well be confirmation that Thomas Wayne is Arthur's father. Alternatively, Penny might have written it on there herself! 
 

Wayne Manor

Alfred


Arthur pays a very tense visit to Wayne Manor where he comes across his "brother" Bruce Wayne. In one of Joker's weirdest nods, the young Bruce slides down a pole in his playground in what feels like a very direct reference to the Bat-Pole which became a staple of the 1960s classic TV series. 

Oh, and the Englishman who gets roughed up by Arthur is exactly who you think he is. Actor Douglas Hodge is credited as Alfred Pennyworth at the end of the film despite never being named in it.
 

A Nod To Batman's Co-Creator

Bruce


Early on in the movie, Arthur meets with his social worker, Debra Kane. She was actually a character in the Batman novel The Ultimate Evil, but common sense says this is a nod to Batman co-creator Bob Kane. 
 
There's also a possible reference to Bill Finger, as Sophie Dumont works in Gotham Savings Bank on 20 William Street. That might be something of a stretch, though, especially as Finger is so often overlooked in movies.
 
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WakandanQueen
WakandanQueen - 10/18/2019, 2:43 AM
Release the #SnyderCut.
Origame
Origame - 10/18/2019, 3:15 AM
I really hate this mindset. Him and nolan have this weird mindset toward deleted scenes. So many of us just want to talk about how a movie has changed through production. We aren't saying they need to be in the movie. Just available.
BraveNewClunge
BraveNewClunge - 10/18/2019, 3:20 AM
@Origame - I agree. I wanted to see the bane backstory stuff they left out in TDKR .
Origame
Origame - 10/18/2019, 3:29 AM
@JokerClunge - thats exactly what i was thinking. I love nolan and joker was definitely a movie we needed, but this mindset just feels like the film makers are giving the finger to people who care about the process of making a movie.
Kumkani
Kumkani - 10/18/2019, 3:25 AM
I think they may have cut too much out of the film.
dracula
dracula - 10/18/2019, 3:27 AM
Well unless he is going to add them back in, really whats the point, most deleted scenes we get on blu rays, are alternate versions of scenes, slightly longer versions of scenes we do have, or small moments. It's rare that I find a deleted scene that would actually make a movie better.
Origame
Origame - 10/18/2019, 6:05 AM
@dracula - the point is learning how a movie has changed. Its fascinating from a bts perspective seeing how a story changed in production. Maybe the original story was less up to interpretation (like revealing arthurs real father, proving thomas is telling the truth). Maybe there's a scene where he kills the girl he had a crush on. Maybe theres a whole subplot taken out.

Its the same reason why we love concept art. None of those designs are gonna be used in future movies. Its just fun seeing what could have been.
manofillintent1
manofillintent1 - 10/18/2019, 4:01 AM
A week later I’m trying to decide wether I liked this film, it’s a mixed bag
VileBlood
VileBlood - 10/18/2019, 4:48 AM
"I hate f**king extended cuts"

I agree with this. Extended cuts should never be considered superior to the original cut unless you've done a shit job at cutting the film together. What you release into theaters should be the best version of the film.
Spidey91
Spidey91 - 10/18/2019, 5:42 AM
@obredaan - *stares in Blade Runner*
VileBlood
VileBlood - 10/18/2019, 9:37 AM
@KingCipher - LOTR is the only exception I'd agree with but that's due to the massive size of the books. But the theatrical cuts of LOTR are fantastic so in this case it's like adding whip cream to an already delicious dessert.
Spidey91
Spidey91 - 10/18/2019, 5:44 AM
Well, that's needlessly asshole-ish response
tmp3
tmp3 - 10/18/2019, 5:55 AM
This is the exact same response that Scorsese had on director's cuts a week back
Spidey91
Spidey91 - 10/18/2019, 6:21 AM
@tmp3 - "we get it Todd, you like Scorsese, but Martin isn't gonna have sex with you, he's not interested"
ShimmyShimmyYA
ShimmyShimmyYA - 10/18/2019, 6:00 AM
Finally saw this movie . And......it was some mid , and I lean towards kinda disliking it tbh, there’s really nothing about that character that makes him the soul of the joker aside from clown makeup. Plus it took too long for him to turn
QuietStorm
QuietStorm - 10/18/2019, 6:03 AM
"I hate deleted scenes....but i love these deleted scenes"
Chewtoy
Chewtoy - 10/18/2019, 6:19 AM
“I hate deleted scenes. They’re deleted for a reason,"
"The movie that exists is exactly the movie I want it to be and I will never show a deleted scene."

And yet there are plenty of outakes, bloopers, extended scenes and deleted scenes on YouTube from his prior films.
Spidey91
Spidey91 - 10/18/2019, 6:28 AM
@Chewtoy - yeah but now he's an "auteur" *read it in the most snooty and pretentious british accent possible*, he probably thinks director's cuts are for little girls with cooties or something.
Moriakum
Moriakum - 10/18/2019, 6:24 AM
To me, Joker is one of the disappointments of the year. The movie starts really well, but slowly started losing me as the movie progressed.. But I thought everything would be compensated for when Arthur completely changed into the Joker. But when that finally happened, we got Joker dancing in slow motion on some stairs (I thought that scene was ridiculous) and running away from two cops like a little girl. And we have a real fan service scene at the end that is so disconnected from the rest of the movie that it feels like we're watching a different movie. I found Joker pretentious and with nothing to offer besides a great cinematography and a brilliant Joaquin Phoenix. But this is just my opinion.
ShimmyShimmyYA
ShimmyShimmyYA - 10/18/2019, 6:31 AM
@Moriakum - it was s Hollywood circle jerk version of a CBM imo . Hollywood showing us nerds what “real cinema” is whatever tf that is
Spidey91
Spidey91 - 10/18/2019, 6:31 AM
You know, as someone who actually liked the movie it's seriously starting to lose points just because this guy comes off as such an asshole every time he speaks.
regularmovieguy
regularmovieguy - 10/18/2019, 6:36 AM
@Spidey91

Because he doesn’t like directors cuts?
Spidey91
Spidey91 - 10/18/2019, 6:43 AM
@regularmovieguy - it's how he said it, he comes off as patronizing. And that's on top of some of his previous comments. I dunno, feels like a little kid on top of a pony imagining he's an historical figure mounted on his epic white steed, except not endearing because he's like, what 40, 50 something?
Maybe I'm just rambling, it's friday and I'm bored out of my mind at work.
IronGenesis
IronGenesis - 10/18/2019, 6:32 AM
“The movie that exists is exactly the movie I want it to be...”. Not sure that applies to every filmmaker or every film.

‘A New Hope’ was not the film Lucas wanted it to be. When he finally got his way, the film took a hit in the new editions.

On the flip side...
Films like Blade Runner, Troy, Watchmen, Alexander, LOTR, Halloween 6...all improved upon getting there full release.

You have a screenwriter who meticulously pieces together a script. It works as a whole. But when you start fillming and exiting and switching scenes and removing scenes (corporate reasons, run time reasons), the film could lose a piece of its original foundation and strength.

Truly was surprised how improved a film like TROY was when it was allowed to be its originally intended 3 hour plus version. Now certain characters and scenes had time to breathe.

Every released film is a compromise. I look at directors cuts as less of a compromise.
Moriakum
Moriakum - 10/18/2019, 6:39 AM
@IronGenesis - I would put Kingdom of Heaven on that list. I found the theatrical cut of Kingdom of Heaven boring and mediocre. But the Director´s Cut is an amazing epic!
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