TODD PHILLIPS

Lady Gaga appeared in full makeup and costume in character as Harley Quinn while filming the upcoming sequel "Joker: Folie à Deux" at Manhattan's City Hall.

For director and actor Olivia Wilde, the dream of the Venice International Film Festival was woven into the fabric of her new film, “Don’t Worry Darling.”.

The first "Joker" earned over $1 billion, demanding bigger salaries for star Joaquin Phoenix and director Todd Phillips.

Ivan Reitman had his army of well-known, frequent collaborators but the filmmaker and producer’s influence extended beyond that too, as evidenced by the tributes that poured in at the news of his sudden passing at age 75.

FILE - In this Friday, Aug. 31, 2018 file photo, actress Cate Blanchett poses for photographers upon arrival at the premiere of the film 'A Star Is Born' at the 75th edition of the Venice Film Festival in Venice, Italy. The lineup for the Venice Film Festival will be announced on Tuesday, July 28, 2020, and will be the first major film event since the coronavirus pandemic lockdown. Barbera noted that almost half of the competition film selections this year are directed by women. The decision to hold the 77th edition of the Venice Film Festival is experienced like a sign of confidence in dnd concrete support of the world of film and the audiovisual industry, Barbera said. Cannes and Telluride were cancelled and others like Venice and the Toronto International Film Festival have had to get creative and scale back where possible in order to proceed.

Rounding out the best picture category: "Ford v Ferrari," "Jojo Rabbit," "Little Women," "Marriage Story" and "Parasite." Scarlett Johansson is a double nominee, earning a best actress nod for "Marriage Story" and best supporting actress for "Jojo Rabbit." How to watch the OscarsWhat : The 92nd Academy Awards: The 92nd Academy Awards Date : Sunday, February 9, 2020: Sunday, February 9, 2020 Time : 8 p.m. : The show will be streamed on such services as AT&T Now, Hulu and YouTube TV, and viewers with participating TV providers can watch the show on abc.com. For best actress, Johansson faces Cynthia Erivo for "Harriet," Saoirse Ronan for "Little Women," Charlize Theron for "Bombshell" and Renee Zellweger, who plays Judy Garland in "Judy."

The slate of 2020 Oscar contenders for the directing prize were Martin Scorsese ("The Irishman"), Todd Phillips ("Joker"), Sam Mendes ("1917"), Quentin Tarantino ("Once Upon a Time in Hollywood") and Bong Joon Ho ("Parasite"), five incredibly talented male directors. Scorsese, Mendes and Tarantino are highly regarded in the industry, but the lack of female directors has been a sore spot for many in recent years. This year, several female directors could have snagged a nomination. Gerwig, whose "Little Women" received six nods, was a top contender heading into the nominations. Wang's "The Farewell," which scored numerous nominations at the Golden Globes and led to an acting award for star Awkwafina, was shut out from all Oscar categories.

After cracking the billion-dollar mark, it seems Warner Bros. is interested in letting Todd Phillips direct another "Joker" movie. According to a report from The Hollywood Reporter, Phillips is currently in talks with the studio to direct a second "Joker" film, with Joaquin Phoenix back to star. Phoenix reportedly had a sequel option in his initial contract with Warner Bros."Joker" is the fourth DC title to surpassed $1 billion at the box office. He left that meeting with the rights to at least one DC story, sources told the Hollywood Reporter. Read the full report from The Hollywood Reporter.

Extra layers of security, intense on-screen action and a frightening incident inside a New York theater combined to create an unsettling experience for some moviegoers who went to see "Joker" on its opening weekend. Other patrons yelled at the man, who spit on them as they left early, said Nathanael Hood, who was in the theater. Social media users posted photos of police, security sweeps and safety notices at theaters in California and Florida. "About halfway through when Joker started killing people and monologuing about how society is evil he started clapping really loudly and incessantly for a good minute. The man started clapping and cheering again "really loudly" during a climatic gunfight, he said, and got "belligerent" when people told him to quit.

There is a constituency eager to blame Hollywood for contributing to societal ills that includes plenty of dishonest brokers. (At the risk of stating the obvious, this R-rated film is not for children, although a parade of related Halloween costumes seems sadly inevitable.) Ultimately, "Joker" is about the making of a monster, told in a manner that seeks to evoke empathy without rooting for him -- a fine line, underscoring a level of ambition beyond what's usually associated with comic-book-adjacent fare. Phoenix's live-wire work alone makes "Joker" an intriguing film, if one that has been conspicuously overpraised amid the irrational exuberance of film festivals. "Joker" premieres Oct. 4 in the US and is rated R. The film is being released by Warner Bros., like CNN, a unit of WarnerMedia.

With a little more than a week before "Joker" is set to be released, Warner Bros. has finally weighed in on the mounting controversy surrounding the R-rated adaptation of DC Comics villainous clown prince of crime. Warner Bros. said in a statement Tuesday that gun violence is a critical issue and that the studio has a long history of donating to victims of violence. "Make no mistake: neither the fictional character Joker, nor the film, is an endorsement of real-world violence of any kind," the statement said. Warner Bros. did not immediately respond to CNBC's request for additional comment. Here is Warner Bros. complete statement:

Warner Bros. Pictures via CNNVENICE, Italy (CNN) - Let's put a smile on that face: A "Batman" prequel scored big Saturday at the 2019 Venice International Film Festival. Todd Phillips' "Joker" took home the festival's big prize, the Golden Lion for Best Film. The movie, which stars Joaquin Phoenix and is slated to hit theaters on October 4, explores the origins of the Joker, Batman's archenemy. Phillips also thanked Phoenix, who joined him on stage. The 76th Venice Film Festival, the world's oldest film festival, was held August 28 through September 7.