Creepy Early Concept Art For Ledger's Joker
Filed under: Action, Warner Brothers, Fandom, DIY/Filmmaking, Comic/Superhero/Geek, Remakes and Sequels, Images
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If you thought that Heath Ledger's Glasgow grin in The Dark Knight was gruesome, consider that it may have actually been tame. Peter over at /film has scanned in a bunch of images from the making-of book, and they illustrate a few of the early Joker ideas that were created in pre-production, before Ledger was cast (check out a couple in the gallery below, and more over at Slash).
It's always fascinating to see how a character came to be, particularly one that's proving to be as iconic as Ledger's joker. The facial scars were apparently decided on quite early, with varying degrees of severity, but the spiky hair was an interesting choice. I remember there was a lot of complaining initially about Ledger's long and "greasy" hair, but I prefer it to the short and spiky look, which says Mark McGrath more than clown-faced madman. I have no idea how much Ledger brought to the table in terms of his look, and it doesn't sound like that's mentioned in the book, either. Creepy stuff -- frankly, if this is how dark Christopher Nolan's team can go, I can't wait to see what they could do with a new villain altogether.
It's always fascinating to see how a character came to be, particularly one that's proving to be as iconic as Ledger's joker. The facial scars were apparently decided on quite early, with varying degrees of severity, but the spiky hair was an interesting choice. I remember there was a lot of complaining initially about Ledger's long and "greasy" hair, but I prefer it to the short and spiky look, which says Mark McGrath more than clown-faced madman. I have no idea how much Ledger brought to the table in terms of his look, and it doesn't sound like that's mentioned in the book, either. Creepy stuff -- frankly, if this is how dark Christopher Nolan's team can go, I can't wait to see what they could do with a new villain altogether.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
8-08-2008 @ 10:50AM
Mr.R said...
I guess by mentioning the words new and villain will flock this thread with a million ideas from us geeks and nerds. I love how dark and non family friendly this movie was, all the more amazing it has done so well. It's quite a tragedy.
Still, yes, here's my two cents for a new villain: A Riddler who is a brilliant serial killer with tons of class, Dr. Hannibal Lecter smart. Or Phillip Seymour Hoffman as the Penguin. Seriously, no Angelina, too flashy. There, let the geek posting begin...
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8-08-2008 @ 11:28AM
Shane said...
A dark and truly twisted schizophrenic Catwoman would be amazing as well...one with sex appeal and fragility (that I DO think Michelle Pfeiffer embodied)...might I suggest, in lieu of Angelina, that you guys consider Charlize Theron or even Kristen Bell?
8-08-2008 @ 12:04PM
Los said...
Gah! I'm tired of hearing about the Penguin in Nolan's Bat Universe. He's already gone on record stating the character is too farfetched and fantastic to be a part of his creation. Plus Cinematical has already covered this.
http://www.cinematical.com/2006/10/14/chris-nolan-says-no-to-the-penguin/
Can we please stop talking about it? Thanks.
8-08-2008 @ 1:59PM
Thomas Corhern said...
I understand that sentiment, but the Penguin is not that far-fetched. He's not the mutant that Tim Burton made him out to be.
In the comics, he's a gangster with a thing for umbrellas and birds.
That can easily be made believable in Nolan's universe or the story he's telling.
Does that mean the Penguin's the next character? Probably not, but with the transition that seems to be hidden beneath the surface from Gotham's mobsters to the freaks, it works well.
I think it works better than the Riddler anyway.
But right now, I'm willing to bet that Nolan could make Crazy Quilt, the Cavalier, Killer Moth or any of the Z-list Bat-foes work — AND I'd pay to see it.
8-08-2008 @ 11:24AM
Thomas Corhern said...
It took me a while to warm up to the look of Ledger's Joker, but I really think they knocked it out of the park with what was on screen.
These just look way too bizarre, especially the one at the top of the story (it looks more like a skull than a clown's face), but I agree if they can turn the Joker that dark, wow.
That opens the door for a lot of different villains.
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8-08-2008 @ 11:27AM
Thomas Corhern said...
By the way, Batman caught in the middle of a mob war led by the Penguin and Black Mask I think would work as the freaks finally take over, as what has slowly started to develop through Begins and Dark Knight. Catwoman added in would be great, but not Angelina.
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8-08-2008 @ 12:21PM
Stephen Fawcus said...
The middle photo looks a bit like Elijah Wood to my eyes...I wonder if he was considered for the part at some point?
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8-08-2008 @ 2:00PM
Jordan M. said...
i remember reading somewhere that ledger himself came up with the final make-up, as well as pretty much developed the entire character while the script was being written.
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8-08-2008 @ 2:45PM
flowers said...
It has the feel of Ichi the Killer.
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8-08-2008 @ 4:12PM
AJ said...
Kristen Bell! zomg! I love her...anyway, Tilda Swinton as Selena Kyle!
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8-08-2008 @ 8:12PM
monstermac said...
# 1 - Mike Myers.
# 2 - This is probably what they meant when they said
of patterning the Joker along the lines of Sid Vicious,
but this is a blandly derivative - and simple.
# 3 - Different angle. Mike Myers.
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