An official trailer has been released for The Peopleâs Joker, the transgender Joker parody film that was banned by Warner Bros.
Directed by American filmmaker Vera Drew, the film was first screened at the Toronto Film Festival back in 2022. Immediately after its premiere, a âmedia conglomerateâ (which Dew did not disclose) filed a cease-and-desist order against the film, causing all screenings to be shut down and leaving the future of the movie uncertain.
The film has now received a US release date set for April 5. A copyright exemption is being argued for under the notion of fair use for being a parody. No official release date has been given for the UK.
The Peopleâs Joker sees Drew playing the role of  Harlequin/Vera, a trans woman who attempts to make it as a stand-up comedian.
Other cast members include Scott Aukerman, Tim Heidecker, Maria Bamford, and Bob Odenkirk.
The synopsis on the filmâs official website reads: âThis revolutionary DIY parody film and hilarious reimagining of the classic autobiographical coming-of-age story follows an unconfident, closeted trans girl as she moves to Gotham City to make it big as a comedian by joining the cast of UCB Live – a government-sanctioned late night sketch show in a world where comedy has been outlawed.
âAs mainstream success eludes our heroine, leading her to unite with a ragtag team of rejects, misfits, and a certain love interest named Mister J, âJoker the Harlequinâ is born again as a confident (and psychotic) joker on a collision course with the cityâs fascist caped crusader.
âVats of feminising chemicals, sexy cartoon interludes, scarecrow psychiatrists, CGI Lorne Michaels, and psychedelic gender dysphoria all play supporting roles.â
It parodies The Joker, the villain within the Batman series who has been depicted in films such as 2008âs The Dark Knight and 2016âs Suicide Squad.
According to the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, The People’s Joker has a unanimous positive rating of 100 per cent âFreshâ, with critics possessively receiving the movie.
In other news, Joker: Folie Ă Deux director Todd Phillips recently shared new images from the forthcoming sequel to 2019âs Joker.
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