If the trailer is any indication of the quality of the film, and particularly Joaquin Phoenix's performance, Warner Bros, has a hit on its hands with "Joker."
The official trailer debuted Wednesday for the comic book film, and just the clip is getting Oscar buzz.
The film is set in Gotham City in 1981 and gives the backstory of the infamous Arthur Fleck (the Joker), a failed stand-up comedian who turns to murder.
"My mother always tells me to smile and put on a happy face. She told me I had a purpose to bring laughter and joy to the world," Phoenix says just before he's brutalized while working as a street clown.
With a stellar cast including Robert De Niro, who plays a talk show host and "Atlanta" star Zazie Beetz who plays Phoenix's love interest, the film officially hits theaters October 4.In a first, the film will initially premiere at the Venice Film Festival -- the first comic book movie to do so, then it moves on to the Toronto International Film Festival and the New York Film Festival.