title: Cardi B

text: Her debut studio album, "Invasion of Privacy", was released on April 6, 2018, to universal acclaim from music critics. Editors from "Variety" and "The New York Times" called it "one of the most powerful debuts of this millennium" and "a hip-hop album that doesn't sound like any of its temporal peers," respectively. The album entered at number one in the United States, while she became the first female artist to chart 13 entries simultaneously on the "Billboard" Hot 100, on the chart issue dated April 21. It became the most streamed album by a female artist in a single week in Apple Music, and the largest on-demand audio streaming week ever for an album by a woman. Cardi held the latter record until 2019. The album's title reflects Cardi B's feeling that as she gained popularity her privacy was being invaded in a variety of ways. Following the album's release, during a performance on "Saturday Night Live", Cardi B officially announced her pregnancy, after much media speculation. She also co-hosted an episode of "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon".


title: Cardi B

text: Several months later, in July 2018, the album's fourth single, "I Like It", which features vocals from Bad Bunny and J Balvin, reached number one on the Hot 100; this marked her second number one on the chart and made her the first female rapper to achieve multiple chart-toppers. It received critical acclaim, with "Rolling Stone" naming it "the best summer song of all time" in 2020. Her collaboration with Maroon 5, "Girls Like You", also reached number one on the Hot 100 chart, extending her record among female rappers and also making her the sixth female artist to achieve three number-one singles on the chart during the 2010s. The song's music video has received more than 3 billion views on YouTube and was the fifth-best selling song of the year globally.


title: Cardi B

text: With "Girls Like You" following "I Like It" at the top of the "Billboard" Radio Songs chart, Cardi B became the first female rapper to ever replace herself at number one on that chart. The single spent seven weeks atop the Hot 100, making Cardi the female rapper with the most cumulative weeks atop the chart, with eleven weeks. It spent 33 weeks in the top 10, tying both Ed Sheeran's "Shape of You" and Post Malone and Swae Lee's "Sunflower" for the longest top 10 run in the chart's archives at the time. In October 2018, "Invasion of Privacy" was certified double platinum by the RIAA, and the following year it was updated to triple platinum. With the thirteen tracks, she became the first female artist to have all songs from an album certified gold or higher in the US.


title: Cardi B

text: Cardi B received the most nominations for the 2018 MTV Video Music Awards with 12 mentions—including for Video of the Year, winning three awards. She tied with Drake for the most nominations at the 2018 American Music Awards. She won three AMAs and performed at the ceremony. Her single "Money" earned her a fourth Video Music Award, with visuals that feature Cardi playing characters in different locations, including in an art museum, a bank and a strip club. Her collaboration with DJ Snake "Taki Taki" topped the charts in a number of Hispanic countries, made Cardi B the first female rapper to top the Spotify Global 50 chart, and has garnered more than 2 billion views. Both singles were certified multiple-platinum by the RIAA. "People en Español" named her Star of the Year, and "Entertainment Weekly" deemed her "a pop culture phenomenon", as she was named one of "2018 Entertainers of the Year".


title: Cardi B

text: On November 30, 2018, Cardi B was honored at "Ebony"s annual Power 100 Gala. Cardi ranked fifth on the 2018 "Billboard" Year-End Top Artists chart, while "Invasion of Privacy" ranked sixth. She achieved the most-streamed album of the year by a female artist globally in Apple Music, and ranked as the most streamed female artist of the year in the United States in Spotify. Editorial staff from Apple Music and "Billboard" named "I Like It" the best song of 2018, while "Time" magazine and "Rolling Stone" named "Invasion of Privacy" the best album of the year. Also in 2018, "Time" included her on their annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world. In its decade-end review article, "NME" stated that the era secured "her crown as the new Queen of Rap."


title: Cardi B

text: Cardi B received five nominations at the 61st Grammy Awards, including for Album of the Year, Best Rap Album and Record of the Year ("I Like It"). She became the third female rapper to be nominated for Album of the Year, following Lauryn Hill (1999) and Missy Elliott (2004). On February 10, 2019, she then performed at the award ceremony, where she wore three vintage Thierry Mugler couture looks during the telecast and became the first female rapper to win Best Rap Album as a solo artist.


title: Cardi B

text: Cardi B led the 2019 Billboard Music Awards nominations, with 21, the most nominations in a single year ever by a woman and the third most nominations in a year ever (behind Drake and The Chainsmokers, who both had 22 in a year). She ended up winning six awards, including for Top Hot 100 Song, bringing her career total wins to seven—the most of any female rapper in history. An article by "Omaha World-Herald" called her "the biggest rapper in the world."


title: Cardi B

text: On February 15, 2019, Cardi B released "Please Me", a collaboration with Bruno Mars, which became her seventh top-ten song on the Hot 100, reaching number three. The song marked Cardi and Bruno's second collaboration, following "Finesse" in 2018. The official music video was released two weeks later. On March 1, Cardi set a new attendance record at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, with 75,580 fans in the audience. With "Backin' It Up", "Twerk" and "Money", Cardi became the first female artist to occupy the top three on the "Billboard" Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop airplay chart.


title: Cardi B

text: Her following single titled "Press" was released on May 31, 2019. The parental-advisory labeled music video marked her directorial debut—being credited as co-director, and was released on June 26, 2019. It had its debut performance at the 2019 BET Awards, where she received the most nominations with seven, and won Album of the Year. During the summer of 2019, she embarked on an arena tour. In September, she led the BET Hip Hop Awards nominations with ten.


title: Cardi B

text: Cardi B made her film debut in "Hustlers" directed by Lorene Scafaria, opposite Jennifer Lopez, Constance Wu, and Lili Reinhart. The film was released on September 13, 2019. Cardi B, along with Chance the Rapper and T.I., were confirmed as judges for the Netflix series "Rhythm + Flow", a ten-part hip-hop talent search that premiered on October 9, 2019, which she also executive produced.


title: Cardi B

text: In December 2019, Cardi B embarked on her first tour of Africa, performing in Nigeria and Ghana. Her collaboration "Clout" was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance. She was the most streamed female rapper of 2019 in the US, according to Spotify. "Consequence of Sound" deemed her "one of the most formidable hip-hop artists of the decade." In March 2020, Cardi B created a reaction video about the coronavirus pandemic. DJ iMarkkeyz, a Brooklyn DJ known for turning memes and online moments into full-length songs, created a track, based on her reaction titled "Coronavirus", which became an internet meme and was released to music platforms. Netflix announced the return of "Rhythm + Flow" for 2021.


title: Cardi B

text: Cardi B released the single "WAP" featuring American rapper Megan Thee Stallion on August 7, 2020, as the lead single off her forthcoming second studio album. The song received critical acclaim and was praised for its sex positive messages. The Colin Tilley-directed music video accompanied the song itself, and broke the record for the biggest 24-hour debut for an all-female collaboration on YouTube. She became the only female rap artist to top the Global Spotify chart multiple times. "WAP" debuted at number-one on the "Billboard" Hot 100 chart, garnering Cardi B her fourth chart-topper in the US, extending her record as the female rapper with the most number-one singles, and also making her the first female rapper to achieve Hot 100 number one singles in two different decades (2010s and 2020s).


title: Cardi B

text: With 93 million streaming units, it became the largest first-week streams for a song, breaking the all-time record held by Ariana Grande's "7 Rings". It has spent four weeks atop the Hot 100. The single has also spent multiple weeks at number one in seven other countries, including Australia and the United Kingdom. Neil Shah of "The Wall Street Journal" deemed it "a big moment for female rappers" and "a historic sign that women artists are making their mark on hip-hop like never before". "WAP" became the first number one single on the inaugural "Billboard" Global 200 chart.


title: Cardi B

text: It became critics' best song of the year according to a compilation of rankings made by the BBC, with publications such as "Pitchfork" and "Rolling Stone" placing it at number one. Cardi B won the "Billboard" Music Award for Top Rap Female Artist for the third time at the 2020 ceremony. In December 2020, Cardi B became the first female rapper to be named Woman of the Year at the "Billboard" Women in Music Awards. With her win for "WAP" at the American Music Awards, she became the first artist to win the American Music Award for Favorite Rap/Hip-Hop Song multiple times, following her win for "Bodak Yellow" in 2018.


title: Cardi B

text: On February 5, 2021, Cardi B released "Up", the second single from her upcoming studio album. A music video for the single was released alongside it. The song was praised by "NME" magazine for its lyricism and fresh approach as a successor to "WAP". "Up" debuted at number two on the US "Billboard" Hot 100 chart, marking the highest debut for a solo female rap song since Lauryn Hill's "Doo Wop (That Thing)" in 1998. The song debuted at number one on the "Rolling Stone" Top 100, becoming both Cardi B's second number-one single and second number-one debut, as well as the first time a female rapper debuts atop the chart with a solo song.


title: Cardi B

text: Cardi B became the first female artist and first lead artist with consecutive number-one debuts on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, and second overall performer following Drake in 2016. "Up" reached number one on the "Billboard" Hot 100 after her Grammy Awards performance, making Cardi B the only female rapper to reach number one multiple times with solo songs, following "Bodak Yellow", and extended her record as the female rapper with the most number-one songs on the Hot 100 as her fifth chart-topper. Cardi B received a second nomination for the Brit Award for International Female Solo Artist.


title: Cardi B

text: Cardi B made a last-minute appearance in "Big Paper", from DJ Khaled's album "Khaled Khaled" released on April 30, 2021. Cardi received two nominations for the BET Award for Video of the Year, for the videos "Up" and "WAP", winning for the latter and becoming the first female rapper to win Video of the Year as a lead artist. This became the 10th time that an artist has had two nominated videos in this category as a lead artist, and the second time for her, following her nominations for "Money" and "Please Me" in 2019.


title: Cardi B

text: She announced her second pregnancy during the performance of her Migos collaboration "Type Shit" at the 2021 ceremony. She also appeared in "F9", which was released on June 25, 2021, by Universal Pictures. On July 16, 2021, Cardi B was featured on the Normani single "Wild Side". Cardi collaborated with Lizzo on "Rumors", which debuted at number four on the "Billboard" Hot 100, becoming Cardi B's tenth top 10 single on the chart, and her seventh number-one on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.


title: Cardi B

text: Cardi B received six nominations at the 2021 MTV Video Music Awards, including her second nomination for Video of the Year. She also led the nominations for the 2021 BET Hip Hop Awards along with Megan Thee Stallion, with nine each; both rappers won the most awards during the ceremony with three for "WAP", with Cardi becoming the first female artist to win Best Hip Hop Video twice (2019 and 2021).


title: Cardi B

text: On October 28, 2021, Cardi B previewed her sophomore album to Atlantic Records via her Instagram Story. She captioned "The money people liking the album sounds". On November 2, Cardi B was announced as the host of the 2021 American Music Awards (AMAs). The award show was held at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles on November 21, and marked the most social telecast of the year per interactions across social media. During the ceremony, "Up" won the award for Favorite Hip Hop Song, making Cardi B the first artist to win the category three times. Cardi B featured on Summer Walker's 2021 album "Still Over It" on the opening track "Bitter". Warner Records released the soundtrack for Halle Berry's directorial debut film "Bruised" on November 19. Selected by executive producers Berry and Cardi B, the Netflix film's soundtrack features six original songs by female artists, including Cardi, H.E.R., City Girls, Flo Milli, Saweetie, and Latto, and seven additional female rap songs inspired by the film.


title: Cardi B

text: In September 2022, Cardi B worked with rapper GloRilla on the official remix to her song "Tomorrow" titled "Tomorrow 2", the remix peaked at number 9 on the "Billboard" Hot 100, becoming Cardi's eleventh top 10 single on the chart.


title: Cardi B

text: In "Billboard"s "You Should Know" series, Cardi B said the first albums she ever purchased were by American entertainers Missy Elliott and Tweet, respectively. She has credited Puerto Rican rapper Ivy Queen and Jamaican dancehall artist Spice as influences, as well as Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, Lil' Kim, Madonna, and Selena. She has mentioned Chicago drill music as an important influence. When asked about the initial direction for her music, Cardi B said in an interview, She also credits growing up in the South Bronx and real life experiences as influences for her songwriting; "I wouldn't be able to rap about the things that I rap about now [if I hadn't grown up there]."


title: Cardi B

text: Her first studio album, "Invasion of Privacy", is primarily a hip hop record, which comprises elements of trap, Latin music, and R&B. "Consequence of Sound" described her flow as "acrobatic and nimble." AllMusic editor David Jeffries called Cardi B "a raw and aggressive rapper". Stereogum called her voice "a full-bodied New Yawk nasal bleat, the sort of thing that you've heard if someone has ever told you that you stupid for taking too long at swiping your MetroCard." They continued to call her voice "an unabashedly loud and sexual fuck-you New York honk—that translates perfectly to rap."


title: Cardi B

text: In a 2017 "Complex" article about her, the editor wrote "unapologetic does not begin to describe the totally unfiltered and sheer Cardi B-ness of Cardi B's personality. She's a hood chick who's not afraid to be hood no matter the setting. Cardi B is Cardi B 24/7, 365, this is why she resonates with people, and that same energy comes out in her music." Her flow has been described as aggressive In 2019, "NME" described her lyrics as "sexually free" performed with "rapid" flow, and other publications have further described her lyrics as outspoken, while her punchlines have been praised, by such publications as "Pitchfork" and "The Source", as clever and quotable. She possesses a New York-Dominican accent.


title: Cardi B

text: Cardi B has defended her musical content featuring sexually-charged lyrics—like most contemporary female rappers; she stated that the content "seems like that's what people want to hear", since she faced negative reactions after releasing her more emotional song, "Be Careful". She has declared, "[Drill music] is the type of artist I always wanted to be: I like to rap about the streets, and I like to rap about my pussy. I don't give a fuck about it." She has stated that writing and performing songs about her personal life and relationships initially caused her a "weird and uncomfortable" feeling and shyness.


title: Cardi B

text: Cardi B employs different vocal styles in her music; in "WAP" her vocal performance has been described as "throaty" and "staccato", while in "Up" she raps with alliteration, a tongue twister-run, and "some classically comedic Cardi" punch lines.


title: Cardi B

text: In February 2017, she partnered with M.A.C and Rio Uribe's Gypsy Sport for an event for New York Fashion Week. Her April appearance in "i-D"s "A-Z of Music" video was sponsored by designer Marc Jacobs, and she made the cover of "The Fader"s July/August 2017 Summer Music issue. Tom Ford's Cardi B-inspired lipstick, and named after her, was released in September 2018. It sold out within 24 hours. In November, she released a clothing line collection with Fashion Nova. The same month she partnered with Reebok, promoting the brand's Aztrek sneaker. In partnership with Reebok, she released a footwear and apparel collection in 2020, inspired by her personal style and paying homage to "classic 80s styling" and motifs. She released her second collection with Reebok in 2021, including sneakers, tracksuits and corsets, inspired by everyday life in New York City.


title: Cardi B

text: Cardi B teamed up with Pepsi for three television commercials, which aired during the Super Bowl LIII, the 61st Annual Grammy Awards, and Christmas. In early 2019, Cardi also joined other hip hop artists (including her husband Offset, as part of Migos) in releasing her flavors of snack food Rap Snacks: two flavors of chips, and two of popcorn. The bags' artwork were designed by Jai Manselle and inspired by the cover of "Invasion of Privacy".


title: Cardi B

text: She premiered the series "Cardi Tries" via Facebook Messenger in December 2020, with herself as one of the executive producers.


title: Cardi B

text: In December 2021, Cardi B partnered with PLBY Group Inc. as creative director in residence for "Playboy" and founding member of Centerfold, a creator-driven website in the works. The partnership also includes fashion and sexual-wellness products. In collaboration with a company, she released a vodka-infused, vegan whipped cream "Whipshots" the same month.


title: Cardi B

text: Cardi B identifies as a feminist. The rapper has been called "unabashedly, directly political" and often uses social media to advocate for causes she believes in, such as gun control. During the 2016 presidential primaries, she warned her fans of President Trump's immigration policies and encouraged them to vote for Senator Bernie Sanders. At the Grammy Awards in 2018, she appeared in a video along with Hillary Clinton to narrate a portion of "Fire and Fury", Michael Wolff's insider's account of Trump's administration, and stated "Why am I even reading this shit? I can't believe this. I can't believe—this is how he really lives his life?"


title: Cardi B

text: Early in 2018 she used her social media to demand transparency on tax policy, asking for detailed information on how her taxpayer dollars are being spent in New York state and criticizing the maintenance of its streets, prisons, and public transportation. Cardi B endorsed Sanders once again in his second bid for the presidency in the 2020 United States presidential election, while praising U.S. Representative Tim Ryan. She stated that one of the reasons for her endorsement is Sanders' long-time involvement in supporting underprivileged minorities and "people getting Medicare because he knows they can't afford it," while Politico argued that she "might be one of Bernie's most powerful 2020 allies."


title: Cardi B

text: She has used her social pages to raise awareness for victims of police brutality, and has encouraged people to vote for mayors, judges and district attorneys in local elections. In a conversation with Democratic candidate Joe Biden for "Elle", they discussed Medicare, free college tuition, and racial equality. According to a study published by "The Hollywood Reporter", Cardi B ranked as the fifth most influential celebrity, and fourth among Generation Z, for the 2020 presidential election.


title: Cardi B

text: She has praised President Franklin D. Roosevelt for advocating for the Social Security program and the New Deal project. She said of President Roosevelt, "he helped us get over the Depression, all while he was in a wheelchair. Like, this man was suffering from polio at the time of his presidency, and yet all he was worried about was trying to make America great—make America great again for real. He's the real 'Make America Great Again,' because if it wasn't for him, old people wouldn't even get Social Security." Sanders has praised her for her "leading role" in calling attention to Social Security.


title: Cardi B

text: Cardi has a noted affinity for Christian Louboutin heels, a running theme in her song "Bodak Yellow". She has also mentioned her affinity for cheap, fast fashion brands stating "I don't care if it cost $20 or $15. If it looks good on me, it looks good on me". During an interview in early 2017, Cardi B spoke on being rejected by some fashion designers. Cardi wore vintage Thierry Mugler to the 2019 Grammy Awards, with an "i-D" article stating that the fashion house's "resurgence onto the fashion scene can almost single-handedly be attributed" to the Swarovski crystal-embroidered crinoline sheath gown she wore at the ceremony.


title: Cardi B

text: Mugler's collaboration with Cardi B marked the second time in 25 years that the Paris house opened its archives to dress a celebrity, the first being Beyoncé for her 2009 concert tour. "W" magazine credited the "WAP" music video for popularizing the Mugler bodysuit in the mainstream. Cardi has acknowledged Mugler as one of the first designers to "take a major chance on [her]" for their fashion collaborations.


title: Cardi B

text: "Vogue", "The Telegraph", "Time", and "Vibe" have referred to her as a fashion icon. An article from "Vogue" noted she "is famous for her statement getups—whether she's rocking archival Mugler on the red carpet, or dripping in Chanel while sitting courtside at a basketball game." Her over-the-top manicures, designed by nail artist Jenny Bui and studded with Swarovski crystals, has become a part of her signature look. Editor Christian Allaire from the magazine in 2021 commented that her signature "bold" ensembles "create a spectacle" during fashion weeks.


title: Cardi B

text: In 2018, she became the first female rapper in the US to appear on the cover of "Vogue" magazine. Photographed by Annie Leibovitz, the cover, one of four for the January 2019 issue that included Stella McCartney, features her in a red and white Michael Kors dress and matching red Jimmy Choo shoes, while holding her daughter, Kulture.


title: Cardi B

text: In 2019, the Council of Fashion Designers of America included her on their list of "28 Black Fashion Forces". "Vogue" editor-in-chief Anna Wintour commended her fashion sense, declaring that she "completely rethought [her] opinion of Cardi B's style" after the 2019 Met Gala, where the rapper wore a Thom Browne-designed burgundy gown that extends outward in concentric circles for about ten feet and was inspired by the female form.


title: Cardi B

text: Cardi B became the face of Balenciaga's ad campaign for the winter 2020 season. The campaign includes billboards in several international locations, such as the Louvre museum. "Vogue"s Brooke Bobb commented, "This is Cardi's first campaign for a luxury fashion house, though she's definitely no stranger to the Parisian style scene", citing her floral printed Richard Quinn ensemble "that literally covered her from head to toe" and her being "a front row fixture" at high fashion shows, adding, "She and her stylist Kollin Carter have been wildly successful in carving out a much-needed space for Cardi within the fashion industry, and they've cultivated a personal style that is all her own while being inspiring to all".


title: Cardi B

text: In 2020, Cardi B became the first female rapper to be awarded by the FN Achievement Awards when she won the Style Influencer of the Year award, which was presented to her by Christian Louboutin. In a press release for the awards show, she was called an "influence just about everything in pop culture—from music, fashion and style to social media, politics and even public service". In 2022, "Rolling Stone" ranked her as the second most-stylish woman in music, behind Lady Gaga, and "GQ" considered her "one of fashion's preeminent risk-takers."


title: Cardi B

text: Cardi B has been referred to as the "Reigning Queen of Hip Hop" by multiple publications, including "Billboard", "The Hollywood Reporter", "Entertainment Weekly", "Omaha World-Herald", "Black Enterprise", "Newsweek", and "The A.V. Club", and as the "Queen of Rap" by "NME", "Essence", "Harper's Bazaar Malaysia", "The Jakarta Post", Uproxx, iHeartRadio, Geo TV, "Vanity Fair", "Joe", "Boston Herald", Refinery 29, France 24, and Nigerian media "The Guardian", "BBC News", and "Daily Trust".


title: Cardi B

text: "Spin" staff credited her for opening "the table to a new generation of pop artists remaking American music in their own image and accents," as Cardi B "recognized that POC artists no longer need to pander or soften themselves in order to become household names." "Billboard" editors stated that with "Bodak Yellow"'s commercial success, "she left an indelible mark on the summer of 2017, not only because she rewrote history, but she gave hope to the have nots...". Several publications have credited "I Like It", the first Latin trap song to reach number one on the Hot 100, for introducing the "musical movement" to a mainstream, massive audience. "Billboard" Carl Lamarre considered "WAP"'s achievements "a clever Trojan horse for the myriad ways Cardi influences the culture with every move she makes."


title: Cardi B

text: "The Wall Street Journal"s Neil Shah stated in 2020 that her breakthrough and success influenced "today's female-rap renaissance," while Genius staff credited her for "helping jumpstart a new wave of female hip-hop signings and promotion at labels," and NPR Music commented that the "renaissance" of the dynamism of women in rap grew "in enthusiasm and breadth" since Cardi's "first historic run" in 2017. Similarly, Clover Hope's book "The Motherlode" (2021) stated that "Invasion of Privacy" "jump-started a new era for women rappers in which success felt much more tangible" as Cardi B "multiplied the wealth of talent and resurrected the idea that numerous women who controlled their own stories could dominate rap at once."


title: Cardi B

text: "The New Yorker" has credited her for "changing a genre that has rarely allowed for more than one female superstar at a time." "Uproxx" noted Cardi B for promoting up-and-coming female rappers; "[she is] choosing to use her position at the height of stardom to open doors for other women to flourish in hip-hop at a greater level than any since the Golden Era and 'Ladies First'," considering it "something of a departure from tradition; for the decade previous to Cardi's precipitous come-up, it seemed hip-hop had an unspoken, Highlander-esque rule in place regarding women." "Variety" deemed her a "hip-hop icon", and "The Independent" called her "the people's pop culture icon", writing that she "has become one of the most recognisable cultural figures of the past 10 years".


title: Cardi B

text: NPR defined "Cardi B effect" as "a branding power rooted in specific authenticity, created and permeated by rapper Cardi B" and noticed that with her breakthrough, "brands finally started to become hip to [her] effect, noticing the cultural markers outside of the rap world that were proving it wasn't limited to clubs, concerts and radio." Business magazine "Inc." stated that her success "shows how social media changed everything we knew about traditional marketing and media", which no longer relies on a "well-thought marketing scheme or millions of dollars in advertising." In 2019, a life-sized sculpture of her was on display at the Brooklyn Museum, as part of Spotify's RapCaviar "Pantheon".


title: Cardi B

text: Bloomberg reported that her data bill helped to boost Ghana's GDP growth in 2019, after it was part of a concert tour. She inspired the creation of the sitcom "Partners in Rhyme", executively produced by MC Lyte about a young woman in high school who "aspires to be the next Cardi B." "P-Valley" creator and executive producer Katori Hall cited her an inspiration for the TV series, and credited her for "helping prepare the public" for its storyline.


title: Cardi B

text: Several artists have cited Cardi B's work as an inspiration, including Rosalía, Olivia Rodrigo, Jazmine Sullivan, Selena Gomez, Blackpink, Spice, Greta Gerwig, Nathy Peluso, Rubi Rose, María Becerra, and Abigail Asante. Cardi B has been credited for supporting and uniting female rappers in the industry, with a writer from "Uproxx" considering her co-sign "the new Drake effect" for women in hip hop.


title: Cardi B

text: Cardi B is the recipient of numerous accolades, including a Grammy Award, eight "Billboard" Music Awards (including three consecutive Top Rap Female Artist wins), six Guinness World Records, six American Music Awards, four MTV Video Music Awards, six BET Awards (including Album of the Year), and fourteen BET Hip Hop Awards. "Invasion of Privacy"—which made her the first female rapper to win the Grammy Award for Best Rap Album as a solo artist—became the first female rap album in fifteen years to be nominated for a Grammy Award for Album of the Year.


title: Cardi B

text: "Time" included her on their annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2018. She received the ASCAP award for Songwriter of the Year in 2019, becoming the first female rapper to win the award. She received the honor for the second time in 2020, making her the first female songwriter to win the award twice. In 2020, Cardi B became the first female rapper to be named Woman of the Year at the "Billboard" Women in Music Awards.


title: Cardi B

text: Cardi B is the female rapper with the most "Billboard" Hot 100 number one singles (5) and the one with the most total weeks on the top position (16). "I Like It" became the first song led by a female rapper to surpass a billion streams on Spotify, making her the first woman in hip hop with multiple billion-streamers on the service, with a total of three so far. With the singles "Taki Taki" and "WAP" she became the only female rapper to top the global Spotify chart multiple times. Since August 2020, "WAP" holds the record of the biggest first-week streams for a song in the United States. "Invasion of Privacy" was the top female rap album of the 2010s, according to the "Billboard" 200 decade-end chart. It became the longest-charting album by a female rapper on the "Billboard" 200, and the most-streamed female rap album on Spotify.


title: Cardi B

text: Cardi is the female rapper with the most Diamond-certified songs by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) (3): "Bodak Yellow", which made her the first female rapper to have a song certified Diamond; "Girls Like You", which made her the only female rapper to achieve multiple Diamond-certified songs; and "I Like It", a tie for the most among women artists. Cardi B has topped twice "Pitchfork"s annual list of best songs of the year (2017 and 2020). "Billboard" staff and "Rolling Stone" ranked her debut album number 13 and 34 on their critics' lists of the best albums of the 2010s respectively, both the highest rank for a female rapper for the decade. Cardi B has become the highest-certified female rapper of all time on the RIAA's Top Artists (Digital Singles) ranking, with 54 million certified units, also being among the highest-certified female artists overall. In October, 2022, five years after her major-label debut, she reached 100 million units sold in RIAA certifications, across her album, singles and guest appearances.


title: Cardi B

text: In the US, Cardi has achieved three times the best-performing song of the year by a female artist—the first act to do so this century—in 2017, 2018, and 2020. As of 2021, "I Like It" is the most-streamed song by a female rapper in the United Kingdom. In August 2021, "Bodak Yellow" made Cardi B the only female rapper to have two videos on her YouTube channel with more than 1 billion views, joining "I Like It", and became the fastest solo female rap song to reach that mark on the platform. Cardi is the only female rapper ranked on "Billboard"s Greatest Hot 100 Hits of All Time, with "Girls Like You" at number 30.


title: Cardi B

text: Cardi B is a practicing Catholic. She identifies as bisexual. In connection with the Me Too movement, she has discussed being sexually assaulted in the past.


title: Cardi B

text: Cardi B's younger sister, Hennessy Carolina, also has a strong following on social media and has accompanied her to award shows, such as the 2018 Grammy Awards.


title: Cardi B

text: As of early 2017, Cardi B began dating fellow rapper Offset. They became engaged on October 27, 2017. On April 7, 2018, during her second performance on "Saturday Night Live", Cardi B revealed her pregnancy; she was about six months (24 weeks) pregnant at the time. On June 25, 2018, TMZ found a marriage license revealing Cardi B and Offset had actually secretly married in September 2017, one month before the public proposal. She later confirmed this in a social media post.


title: Cardi B

text: Cardi B gave birth to her daughter on July 10, 2018. In December 2018, she announced on Instagram that she and Offset had separated, though the pair later reunited. In February 2019, the couple made a public appearance for the Grammys. He accompanied her onstage during her acceptance speech for Best Rap Album.


title: Cardi B

text: In September 2020, it was reported that Cardi B had filed for divorce from Offset, but the following month it was revealed they were back together. In June 2021, Cardi B revealed she was pregnant with her second child, a boy. She gave birth to her son on September 4, 2021. On her the fifth anniversary of her marriage, Cardi B announced she is planning her official wedding.


title: Cardi B

text: On October 1, 2018, Cardi B agreed to meet with investigators at a Queens police station in connection with an alleged assault of two female bartenders. The victims claimed that Cardi B and her entourage "threw bottles and alcohol at them." She denied involvement. She was charged with two misdemeanors: assault and reckless endangerment. Cardi B appeared in court for her arraignment on December 7, 2018, after she did not show up for the originally scheduled date due to a scheduling conflict, according to her attorney.


title: Cardi B

text: On June 21, 2019, a jury indicted Cardi B on 14 charges, including two counts of felony assault with intent to cause serious physical injury, stemming from the incident. She was arraigned on June 25, 2019, and pleaded not guilty on all charges. On September 15, 2022, she plead guilty to third-degree assault and second-degree reckless endangerment, resulting in a sentence of 15 days of community service.


title: Cardi B

text: On January 24, 2022, Cardi won a million-dollar defamation verdict against YouTuber Latasha Kebe (Tasha K) for waging a "malicious campaign" to hurt her reputation by posting false rumors. The jury issued a verdict that Cardi B had been defamed and awarded $1.25 million in damages. Further proceedings brought the total fine against Kebe to $3.82 million.


title: Cardi B

text: On March 25, 2022, Cardi, her sister Hennessy, and Hennessy's girlfriend won a defamation lawsuit filed against them by three men over an incident at Suffolk County beach.


title: Cardi B

text: In September 2022, Cardi pled guilty to third-degree assault and second-degree reckless endangerment in order to avoid trial in New York for the same charges, and was sentenced to 15 days of community service.


title: Cardi B

text: On September 13, 2022, Cardi surprised her old elementary school, I.S. 232 in the Bronx, and announced that she would be donating $100,000 to the institution.


title: Cardi B

text: Cardi B sparked controversy after throwing one of her high heel shoes at and attempting to physically attack fellow rapper Nicki Minaj at a New York Fashion Week after-party in September 2018. Following the altercation, she alleged that Minaj had previously "liked" social media comments that spoke negatively of Cardi B's ability to take care of her newborn daughter. Minaj denied the allegations, and accused Cardi B of cyberbullying in a heated Instagram exchange from 2014. Cardi B was on the cover of the 2019 spring fashion issue of "Harper's Bazaar", which featured her in a Cinderella-themed photo shoot wearing a red gown and leaving a shoe behind. Some interpreted this as a reference to the incident.


title: Cardi B

text: After the release of "Girls" in May 2018, a collaboration where she had a featured verse, Cardi B responded to accusations of the song trivializing and sexualizing LGBT relationships; she tweeted, "We never try to cause harm or had bad intentions with the song." She went on to add, "I personally myself had experiences with other women."


title: Cardi B

text: In March 2019, an Instagram livestream from 2016 resurfaced where Cardi B can be heard claiming that in the past she "had drugged and robbed men" who willingly came with her to hotel rooms for sexual intercourse. She stated that the men she referred to were conscious, willing and aware; they were getting "twisted in the club" before approaching her, and denied ever putting anything in a man's drink. She added that she took some money from them because they wasted her time by falling asleep, and then "kept coming back." She concluded by saying that at that time she had very limited options to survive, and feels a responsibility not to glorify it.


title: Licorice Pizza

text: Licorice Pizza is a 2021 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson. It stars Alana Haim and Cooper Hoffman in their film debuts, alongside an ensemble supporting cast including Sean Penn, Tom Waits, Bradley Cooper, and Benny Safdie. Set in 1973, the film follows the development of a young couple's relationship.


title: Licorice Pizza

text: "Licorice Pizza" was released in the United States in select theaters on November 26, 2021, followed by a wide release on December 25. The film was a box-office bomb, grossing $33 million worldwide against a $40 million production budget. Despite this, it was acclaimed by critics and received three nominations at the 94th Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Original Screenplay, making it Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's first fully produced, marketed, and distributed film to be nominated for Best Picture since "Rain Man" in 1988. It also received three awards from the National Board of Review, including Best Film, was named one of the best films of 2021 by the American Film Institute, and received four nominations at the 79th Golden Globe Awards, including Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy.


title: Licorice Pizza

text: In 1973 San Fernando Valley, 15-year-old actor Gary Valentine meets Alana Kane, a 25-year-old photography assistant, at his school picture day. She rebuffs his advances but they strike up a friendship. When Gary's mother Anita cannot chaperone him on a press tour performance in New York City, he invites Alana. She begins dating his co-star Lance, making Gary jealous, but they break up after he says he is an atheist during a Shabbat dinner conversation with her Jewish family.


title: Licorice Pizza

text: Gary begins selling waterbeds after coming across one at a wig shop and reconnects with Alana at a teenage trade expo. He is suddenly arrested, mistaken for a murder suspect, and Alana runs after him to the police station but he is soon released. She joins his waterbed business, acting seductively on the phone to land a potential customer. After introducing Alana to his talent agent, Gary is upset that she is open to nudity but refuses to show him her breasts. Alana impulsively does so, but slaps him when he asks to touch them. They open a "Fat Bernie's" storefront for their waterbeds and Alana is hurt when Gary flirts with his classmate Sue, later making out with her in the back room. A jealous Alana peeks in on them before kissing a man on the street and storming off.


title: Licorice Pizza

text: Gary's agent secures Alana an audition for a film starring veteran actor Jack Holden, who brings her to the Tail of the Cock restaurant, where Gary and his friends are also dining. An inebriated Alana makes Gary jealous and Holden’s friend, film director Rex Blau, convinces him to recreate one of his motorcycle stunts on a nearby golf course, bringing the entire restaurant along. Alana topples off the bike as Holden jumps over a flaming sand trap, and Gary runs to her side. Again reconciled, they walk to the waterbed store, where Gary stops himself from touching a sleeping Alana's breast.


title: Licorice Pizza

text: The 1973 oil crisis sweeps the country, forcing the waterbed manufacturer to close. Alana, Gary and his friends make one final delivery to the home of Jon Peters. Leaving to meet his girlfriend, Barbra Streisand, Peters humiliates Gary, threatening to strangle his brother if Gary damages the house. Setting up the waterbed, Gary intentionally leaves the hose running while filling the waterbed in the master bedroom, with Alana's approval. They drive away but are waved down by an agitated Peters, whose car has run out of gas. Driving him home to retrieve a gas canister, they take him to a crowded gas station but leave him behind after he violently commandeers a gas pump. Gary stops to smash Peters's car but they run out of gas as well. Alana maneuvers the truck backwards down a long hill to a gas station, impressing Gary but causing Alana to question her recent decisions.


title: Licorice Pizza

text: Inspired by a campaign poster, she reaches out to her old classmate Brian, who brings her on as volunteer staffer for Joel Wachs, a city councilman running in the 1973 Los Angeles mayoral election. Gary briefly joins her but overhears that pinball will soon be legalized in the Valley and decides to open an arcade, leading to an argument with Alana. They lash out at each other about their difference in age and their fraught relationship and Alana tries to make peace but Gary drives off.


title: Licorice Pizza

text: Later, Gary prepares for the opening night of his arcade, remodeling his storefront into "Fat Bernie's Pinball Palace". That same night, Alana nearly shares a kiss with Brian but is invited to join Wachs at a restaurant. She arrives to meet Wachs and his partner Matthew, realizing that Wachs is secretly gay and he asks her to pose as Matthew's girlfriend to save him political embarrassment. Alana walks a deeply hurt Matthew home and they commiserate over the men in their lives. She goes to the arcade to find Gary, who has left to look for her at Wachs's office, with her sisters' encouragement. They eventually run into each other's arms and return to the arcade, where Gary pronounces she will be his wife. Sharing a kiss, they run into the night and Alana tells Gary that she loves him.


title: Licorice Pizza

text: Haim's sisters Danielle and Este, father Moti, and mother Donna also appear as Alana Kane's family. The children of Anderson and Rudolph, as well as the relatives and children of other filmmakers and cast members, also appear. Appearing as Gary's friends are Griff Giacchino as Mark, James Kelley as Tim, and Will Angarola as Kirk. John C. Reilly has an uncredited cameo as Fred Gwynne, the actor who portrayed Herman Munster (the credits list him as "Herman Munster as himself"), while Dan Chariton cameos as Sam Harpoon, a director.


title: Licorice Pizza

text: Around 2001, Anderson was walking by a middle school in Los Angeles on picture day. He observed one of the students nagging the female photographer and had an idea of the student having a romantic relationship with the photographer. The screenplay of "Licorice Pizza" evolved from this experience and additional stories told to Anderson by his friend Gary Goetzman, who was a child actor who had starred in the film "Yours, Mine and Ours" with Lucille Ball, appeared on "The Ed Sullivan Show", and eventually started a waterbed company and pinball arcade. Goetzman at one time delivered a waterbed to Jon Peters's home. Anderson considered "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" and "American Graffiti" as major influences in the making of "Licorice Pizza".


title: Licorice Pizza

text: Anderson received permission from Jon Peters to develop a character based on him, on the sole condition that Peters's favorite pick-up line is used. Anderson went on to create a "monster version" of Peters based on 1970s Hollywood producers who had "a reputation for a lot of bravado and aggro energy."


title: Licorice Pizza

text: In September 2021, the film was officially titled "Licorice Pizza", named after a former chain of record shops in southern California. Anderson explained, "If there's two words that make me kind of have a Pavlovian response and memory of being a child and running around, it's 'licorice' and 'pizza' [...] It instantly takes me back to that time." He added that the words "seemed like a catch-all for the feeling of the film [...] that go well together and maybe capture a mood."


title: Licorice Pizza

text: Anderson wrote the screenplay with Alana Haim in mind and offered her the lead role in summer 2019. He has a close connection to her band Haim, having directed several of their music videos, and is a close friend of the Haim family. Haim's sisters Este and Danielle and parents Mordechai and Donna were also cast to play the roles of her family. Cooper Hoffman, the son of Philip Seymour Hoffman, was cast late in the process after Anderson found the auditioning young actors too "precocious" and "trained" to match the naturalistic style of Haim's acting. "Licorice Pizza" marks the feature film debut of both Haim and Hoffman. Described as a "family-and-friends project" by the "Los Angeles Times", the film also features Anderson's longtime partner Maya Rudolph, their four children, and many of their neighborhood friends in various roles.


title: Licorice Pizza

text: Principal photography began in Encino, California, in August 2020, under the working title "Soggy Bottom". In November 2020, it was reported that principal photography had wrapped and post-production had begun. A Tudor Revival manor previously owned by actor Lyle Waggoner was used for scenes at Jon Peters's house. Tail o' the Cock, a local restaurant that was demolished in 1987, was recreated for the film at the Van Nuys Golf Course. Haim spent a week learning to drive trucks, and performed her own stunt in which she backed a truck down a long hill.


title: Licorice Pizza

text: Anderson and Michael Bauman (sharing a director of photography credit) shot "Licorice Pizza" on 35 mm film, using older lenses in order to create the film's 1970s texture.


title: Licorice Pizza

text: Radiohead's Jonny Greenwood composed the film's score cues. The first trailer for the film, which was released online on September 27, 2021, was set to David Bowie's "Life on Mars?"


title: Licorice Pizza

text: The official soundtrack was released by Republic Records. Included are some of the songs featured in the film, as well as one of the original tracks composed by Greenwood.


title: Licorice Pizza

text: On December 18, 2019, Focus Features came on to produce and distribute the film. On July 17, 2020, it was reported that Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer acquired distribution rights to the film from Focus, and that MGM would set a new start date due to the COVID-19 pandemic.


title: Licorice Pizza

text: The film was released in select theaters in the United States on November 26, 2021, by United Artists Releasing, and was followed by a nationwide release on December 25, 2021. It was released in the United Kingdom on January 14, 2022, by Universal Pictures.


title: Licorice Pizza

text: The film released digitally on March 1, 2022 and on Blu-ray and DVD on May 17, 2022 by Universal Pictures Home Entertainment.


title: Licorice Pizza

text: "Licorice Pizza" grossed $17.3 million in the United States and Canada, and $15.9 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $33.2 million.


title: Licorice Pizza

text: "Licorice Pizza" opened in four theaters on November 26, 2021, including the Regency Village Theatre in Los Angeles. It made $335,000 in its opening weekend, an average of $83,800 per screen. Audiences were reported to be 72% between the ages of 18 and 34, 66% male, and 70% Caucasian, 19% Latino and Hispanic, 8% Asian, and 3% Black. Close to 70% of all moviegoers were also college graduates. In its fifth weekend, the film expanded to 786 theaters and entered the box office top ten for the first time with $1.9 million, finishing eighth. During the weekend, 66% of audience members were between the ages of 18 and 34. The film made $1.3 million in its sixth weekend, $981,886 in its seventh, $879,511 in its eighth, $659,953 in its ninth, $630,117 in its tenth, and $644,699 in its eleventh. The film received an expansion after earning its three Academy Award nominations, and made $959,788 in its twelfth weekend, finishing eighth. It dropped out of the top ten in its thirteenth weekend with $647,973.


title: Licorice Pizza

text: Audiences polled by PostTrak gave the film an 87% positive score, with 73% saying they would definitely recommend it.


title: Licorice Pizza

text: The film generated some controversy around the romance between the main characters, one of whom is 25 and the other 15. It also came under fire for scenes in which the character Jerry uses a demeaning mock Asian accent when speaking to his Japanese wives. Regarding the latter, director Anderson defended the scenes as being contemporaneous and accurate portrayals of the movie's time period. The group Media Action Network for Asian Americans, however, called for an awards boycott for the movie due to the decision to include these two scenes without any pushback from the characters.


title: Joker (2019 film)

text: Joker is a 2019 American superhero film directed by Todd Phillips, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Scott Silver. The film, based on DC Comics characters, stars Joaquin Phoenix as the Joker and serves as a standalone origin story for the man. Set in 1981, it follows Arthur Fleck, a failed clown and aspiring stand-up comic whose descent into mental illness and nihilism inspires a violent countercultural revolution against the prosperous in a decaying Gotham City. Robert De Niro, Zazie Beetz and Frances Conroy appear in supporting roles. Distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, "Joker" was produced by Warner Bros. Pictures and DC Films in association with Village Roadshow Pictures, Bron Creative and Joint Effort.


title: Joker (2019 film)

text: Phillips conceived "Joker" in 2016 and wrote the script with Silver throughout 2017. The two were inspired by 1970s character studies and the films of Martin Scorsese, particularly "Taxi Driver" (1976) and "The King of Comedy" (1982), who was initially attached to the project as a producer. The film loosely adapts plot elements from "" (1988), but Phillips and Silver otherwise did not look to specific comics for inspiration. Phoenix became attached in February 2018 and was cast that July, while the majority of the cast signed on by August. Principal photography took place in New York City, Jersey City and Newark, from September to December 2018. "Joker" is the first live-action theatrical "Batman" film to receive an R rating from the Motion Picture Association.


title: Joker (2019 film)

text: "Joker" premiered at the 76th Venice International Film Festival on August 31, 2019, where it won the Golden Lion and was theatrically released in the United States on October 4, 2019. The film received mostly positive reviews from critics, who praised Phoenix's performance, Phillips' direction, the visual style, musical score and cinematography, although they were divided on its themes and portrayal of mental illness. The film was a box office success and set records for an October release. It grossed over $1 billion, the first R-rated film to do so and became the sixth-highest-grossing film of 2019 during its theatrical run. The film also received numerous other accolades. A musical sequel, titled "", is scheduled to be released on October 4, 2024.


title: Joker (2019 film)

text: Arthur Fleck, a clown, lives with and cares for his mother, Penny, in crime-infested and economically stagnant Gotham City. Arthur suffers from a neurological disorder that causes him to laugh uncontrollably at inappropriate times, and ask for even more medication, saying he wants to feel better, for the community services which he depends on. After Arthur is deliberately attacked by juvenile thugs, his co-worker Randall gives him a handgun for self-defense. Arthur pursues a relationship with his neighbor, single mother Sophie and invites her to see his stand-up routine at a comedy club. At a children's hospital, Arthur's gun falls out of his trouser leg onto the floor in full view of the children. Randall lies to their manager, stating the handgun was Arthur's own prop and Arthur is immediately sacked. Depressed on the subway, still in clown makeup, Arthur suffers a laughing fit and becomes accosted by a group of three drunk businessmen, shooting two of them in self-defense and killing the third as he attempts to flee. The killings are condemned by billionaire mayoral candidate Thomas Wayne, whom the men worked for, calling supporters of the murderers "clowns." Protesters react by donning clown masks in Arthur's image. Budget cuts shut down the community service program, leaving Arthur without medication.


title: Joker (2019 film)

text: Sophie attends Arthur's stand-up routine, which goes badly; he laughs uncontrollably and his jokes fall flat. Arthur intercepts a letter from Penny to Thomas, alleging that he is Thomas's illegitimate son, and berates his mother for hiding the truth. He goes to Wayne Manor, where he meets Thomas' young boy Bruce, but flees after a struggle with the family butler Alfred Pennyworth. Penny suffers a stroke and is hospitalized. Arthur's idol, popular late-night talk show host Murray Franklin, mocks Arthur by showing clips of his failed performance, calling him a "joker", angering Arthur. Arthur sneaks into a private event at a cinema and confronts Thomas, who tells him that he is not his father and that Penny is not his biological mother. In denial, Arthur visits Arkham State Hospital and steals Penny's file, which states she was a narcissist who adopted Arthur while working as a housekeeper for the Waynes in the 1950s. Penny then raised Arthur with her abusive boyfriend, who later died in prison. Penny was subsequently institutionalized at Arkham for failing to stop the abuse.


title: Joker (2019 film)

text: Distraught, Arthur enters Sophie's apartment unannounced. Frightened, Sophie talks to Arthur as if the two had never met, saying that she just recognizes him from down the hall, then asks him to leave. The film flashes back to moments where Arthur had seen Sophie, revealing that Sophie had not actually been there, confirming that the two were strangers and her presence in his life was a delusion. The following day, Arthur murders Penny at the hospital, killing her for her deceit. Arthur is invited to appear on Murray's show due to the sudden popularity his stand-up clips have attracted, and he accepts while secretly planning to commit suicide on live television. Arthur's ex-colleagues Randall and Gary visit him at his apartment, and Arthur stabs Randall out of revenge while sparing Gary for treating him well in the past. As Arthur, now dressing in a colorful costume and clown makeup, walks to Murray's TV studio, he is intercepted by two detectives who suspect his involvement in the subway murders. The detectives pursue him onto a subway filled with clown protestors. One detective accidentally shoots a protester and incites a riot, allowing Arthur to escape in the chaos and arrive at the studio.


title: Joker (2019 film)

text: Before the show goes live, Arthur asks Murray to introduce him as Joker, in reference to Murray's earlier mockery. On stage, Arthur tells dark jokes before confessing to the subway murders, ranting about how society abandons the downtrodden and psychologically ill and berating Murray for mocking him. Murray argues with Arthur, who becomes enraged and shoots him in the face, murdering him on live television. The horrified audience flees, and Arthur begins to monologue to the camera before the feed is cut. He is arrested as riots erupt across Gotham. One of the rioters corners the Wayne family in an alley and kills Thomas and his wife, sparing Bruce. Rioters in an ambulance ram into the police car carrying Joker, freeing him; he stands atop the car and begins dancing to the cheers of the rioters, smearing blood on his face in the shape of a smile. Later, at Arkham, Joker laughs menacingly to himself about a joke during a session with a therapist, but declines to tell it, claiming she wouldn't get it. He escapes, leaving behind bloodied shoeprints as an orderly chases him throughout the corridors.


title: Joker (2019 film)

text: Additionally, Brett Cullen portrays Thomas Wayne, a billionaire running for mayor of Gotham. Alec Baldwin was initially cast in the role, but dropped out due to scheduling conflicts. Carrie Louise Putrello portrays Thomas's wife Martha, although the character has no lines and is never referred to by name. Douglas Hodge plays Alfred Pennyworth, the butler and caretaker of the Wayne family, and Dante Pereira-Olson plays Bruce Wayne, Thomas' son, who becomes the Joker's archenemy Batman as an adult.


title: Joker (2019 film)

text: Additional cast members include Glenn Fleshler and Leigh Gill as Randall and Gary, Arthur's clown co-workers; Bill Camp and Shea Whigham as detectives Garrity and Burke in the Gotham City Police Department; Marc Maron as Gene Ufland, a producer on Franklin's show; Sharon Washington as Arthur's social worker; Josh Pais as Hoyt Vaughn, Arthur's agent; Brian Tyree Henry as Clark, a clerk at Arkham State Hospital; Ben Warheit, Michael Benz and Carl Lundstedt as bankers who harass Arthur; Gary Gulman and Sam Morril as comedians at an open mic where Arthur performs; and Bryan Callen as Javier, a co-worker of Arthur. Justin Theroux has an uncredited cameo as Ethan Chase, a celebrity guest on Franklin's show.


title: Joker (2019 film)

text: Between 2014 and 2015, Joaquin Phoenix expressed interest to his agent in acting in a low-budget "character study" type of film about a comic book villain, like DC Comics character the Joker. Phoenix had previously declined to act in the Marvel Cinematic Universe because he would have been required to reprise a role, such as the Hulk (initially portrayed by Edward Norton before he was recast by Mark Ruffalo) or Doctor Strange, in multiple films. Phoenix ruled out the Joker for his "character study" idea and tried to think of a different one. "I thought, 'You can't do the Joker, because, you know, it's just you can't do that character, it's just been done.'" Phoenix's agent suggested setting up an exploratory meeting with Warner Bros., but he declined and let go of the idea. Similarly, Todd Phillips had been offered to direct comic-based films a number of times, but declined because he thought they were "loud" and did not interest him. According to Phillips, "Joker" was created from his idea to create a different, more grounded comic book film. He was attracted to the Joker because he did not think there was a definitive portrayal of the character, which he knew would provide considerable creative freedom.


title: Joker (2019 film)

text: Phillips pitched the idea for "Joker" to Warner Bros. after his film "War Dogs" premiered in August 2016. Prior to "War Dogs", Phillips was mostly known for his comedy films, such as "Road Trip" (2000), "Old School" (2003) and "The Hangover" (2009); "War Dogs" marked a venture into more unsettling territory. During the premiere, Phillips realized ""War Dogs" wasn't going to set the world on fire and I was thinking, 'What do people really want to see?'" In addition, he found that it was difficult to make comedy films in the "woke culture", throughout opposition of "30 million people on Twitter". He finally thought that "How do I do something irreverent, but fuck comedy? Oh I know, let's take the comic book movie universe and turn it on its head with this". He proposed that DC Films differentiate its slate from the competing Marvel Studios' by producing low-budget, standalone films. After the successful release of "Wonder Woman" (2017), DC Films decided to deemphasize the shared nature of its DC-based film franchise, the DC Extended Universe (DCEU). In August 2017, Warner Bros. and DC Films revealed plans for the film, with Phillips directing and co-writing with Scott Silver and Martin Scorsese set to co-produce with Phillips. According to Tatiana Siegel of "The Hollywood Reporter", Scorsese considered directing "Joker" before Phillips was chosen, though a Warner Bros. source said he only became involved because the film needed a New York City-based producer.


title: Joker (2019 film)

text: According to Kim Masters and Borys Kit of "The Hollywood Reporter", Jared Leto, who portrayed the Joker in the DCEU, was displeased by the existence of a project separate from his interpretation. In October 2019, Masters reported that Leto "felt 'alienated and upset'" when he learned that Warner Bros.—which had promised him a standalone DCEU Joker film—let Phillips proceed with "Joker", going as far as to ask his music manager Irving Azoff to get the project canceled. Masters added that Leto's irritation was what caused him to end his association with Creative Artists Agency (CAA), as he believed "his agents should have told him about the Phillips project earlier and fought harder for his version of Joker." However, sources associated with Leto deny that he attempted to get "Joker" canceled and left CAA because of it.


title: Joker (2019 film)

text: Warner Bros. pushed for Phillips to cast Leonardo DiCaprio as the Joker, hoping to use his frequent collaborator Scorsese's involvement to attract him. However, Phillips said that Phoenix was the only actor he considered, and that he and Silver wrote the script with Phoenix in mind, "The goal was never to introduce Joaquin Phoenix into the comic book movie universe. The goal was to introduce comic book movies into the Joaquin Phoenix universe." Phoenix said when he learned of the film, he became excited because it was the kind he was looking to make, describing it as unique and stating it did not feel like a typical "studio movie." It took him some time to commit to the role, as it intimidated him and he said "oftentimes, in these movies, we have these simplified, reductive archetypes and that allows for the audience to be distant from the character, just like we would do in real life, where it's easy to label somebody as evil and therefore say, 'Well, I'm not that."


title: Joker (2019 film)

text: Phillips and Silver wrote "Joker" throughout 2017 and the writing process took about a year. According to producer Emma Tillinger Koskoff, it took some time to get approval for the script from Warner Bros., partly because of concerns over the content. Similarly, Phillips commented that there were "a zillion hurdles" during the year-long writing process due to the visibility of the character. Phillips said that while the script's themes may reflect modern society, the film was not intended to be political. He also noted that "Joker" is a story about child trauma and mental illness. In their script, Phillips talked about how difficult it is for patients to reveal their diagnoses, referring to a line from the film: "The worst part of having a mental illness is that people expect you to behave as if you don't."


title: Joker (2019 film)

text: The script draws inspiration from Scorsese films such as "Taxi Driver" (1976), "Raging Bull" (1980) and "The King of Comedy" (1983), as well as Phillips' "Hangover Trilogy". Other films Phillips has cited as inspiration include character studies released in the 1970s—such as "Serpico" (1973) and "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" (1975)—the silent film "The Man Who Laughs" (1928) and several musicals. Phillips said that aside from the tone, he did not consider "Joker" that different from his previous work, such as his "Hangover" films. The film's premise was inspired by Alan Moore and Brian Bolland's graphic novel "" (1988), which depicts the Joker as a failed stand-up comedian, while the climactic talk show scene was inspired by a similar scene in Frank Miller's "The Dark Knight Returns" (1986). However, Phillips said the film does not "follow anything from the comic books... That's what was interesting to me. We're not even doing Joker, but the story of becoming Joker." Phillips later clarified that he meant they did not look to a specific comic for inspiration, but rather "picked and chose what we liked" from the character's history. Having grown up in New York, Phillips also drew inspiration from life in New York City during the early 1980s. The Subway shooting scene and its aftermath were inspired by the 1984 New York City Subway shooting, while Arthur Fleck is partially based on the shooting's perpetrator, Bernhard Goetz.


title: Joker (2019 film)

text: Phillips and Silver found the most common Joker origin story, in which the character is disfigured after falling into a vat of acid, too unrealistic. Instead, they used certain elements of the Joker lore to produce an original story, which Phillips wanted to feel as authentic as possible. Because the Joker does not have a definitive origin story in the comics, Phillips and Silver were given considerable creative freedom and "pushed each other every day to come up with something totally insane." While the Joker had appeared in several films before, Phillips thought it was possible to produce a new story featuring the character. "It's just another interpretation, like people do interpretations of "Macbeth"," he told "The New York Times". However, they did try to retain the ambiguous "multiple choice" nature of the Joker's past by positioning the character as an unreliable narrator—with entire storylines simply being his delusions—and left what mental illnesses he suffers from unclear. As such, Phillips said the entire film is open to interpretation.


title: Joker (2019 film)

text: When a draft of the film's script, written in April 2018, was leaked and spread on the internet, Phillips stated that it was an old version from six months before filming began. Phillips also declined to take legal action against the spread of the script, stating that he liked having an old version circulate.


title: Joker (2019 film)

text: Following the disappointing critical and financial performance of "Justice League" (2017), in January 2018 Walter Hamada replaced Jon Berg as the head of DC-based film production at Warner Bros. Hamada sorted through the various DC films in development, canceling some while advancing work on others; the film was set to begin filming in late 2018 with a small budget of $55 million. Kim Masters of "The Hollywood Reporter" said Warner Bros. was reluctant to let "Joker" move forward and gave it a small budget in an effort to dissuade Phillips. Phillips said that Hamada did not understand what he was trying to do. By June, Robert De Niro was under consideration for a supporting role in the film. The deal with Phoenix was finalized in July 2018, after four months of persuasion from Phillips. Immediately afterwards, Warner Bros. officially green-lit the film, titled it "Joker" and gave it an October 4, 2019, release date. Warner Bros. described the film as "an exploration of a man disregarded by society [that] is not only a gritty character study, but also a broader cautionary tale."


title: Joker (2019 film)

text: Scorsese's longtime associate Koskoff joined to produce, although Scorsese left his producing duties due to other obligations. Scorsese considered serving as an executive producer, but was preoccupied with his film "The Irishman". It was also confirmed that the film would have no effect on Leto's Joker and would be the first in a new series of DC films unrelated to the DCEU. In July, Zazie Beetz was cast in a supporting role and De Niro entered negotiations in August. Frances McDormand declined an offer to portray the mother of the Joker and Frances Conroy was cast. At the end of July, Marc Maron, and Bryan Callen joined the cast. Alec Baldwin was cast as Thomas Wayne on August 27, but dropped out two days later due to scheduling conflicts. Baldwin also noted the character's description as a reason for his departure, which called Thomas Wayne "a cheesy and tanned businessman who is more in the mold of a 1980s Donald Trump".


title: Joker (2019 film)

text: Principal photography commenced in September 2018 in New York City, under the working title "Romeo". Shortly after filming began, De Niro, Brett Cullen, Shea Whigham, Glenn Fleshler, Bill Camp, Josh Pais and Douglas Hodge were announced to have joined the film, with Cullen replacing Baldwin. Bradley Cooper joined the film as a producer, and the director of photography was Lawrence Sher, both of whom Phillips had previously collaborated with. On September 22, a scene depicting a violent protest was filmed at the Church Avenue station in Kensington, Brooklyn, although the station was modified to look like the Bedford Park Boulevard station in the Bronx. Filming of violent scenes also took place at the abandoned lower platform of the Ninth Avenue station in Sunset Park, Brooklyn.


title: Joker (2019 film)

text: According to Beetz, Phillips rewrote the entire script during production; because Phoenix lost so much weight for the film, there would not be an opportunity for reshoots. She recalled, "we would go into Todd's trailer and write the scene for the night and then do it. During hair and makeup we'd memorize those lines and then do them and then we'd reshoot that three weeks later." Phillips recalled Phoenix sometimes walked off-set during filming because he lost self-control and needed to compose himself—to the confusion of other actors, who felt they had done something wrong. De Niro was one of the few Phoenix never walked out on and De Niro said he was "very intense in what he was doing, as it should be, as he should be."


title: Joker (2019 film)

text: Filming in Jersey City started on September 30 and shut down Newark Avenue, while filming in November, starting on November 9, shut down Kennedy Boulevard. Filming in Newark began on October 13 and lasted until October 16. Shortly before the Newark filming, SAG-AFTRA received a complaint that extras were locked in subway cars for more than three hours during filming in Brooklyn, a break violation. The issue was quickly resolved after a representative visited the set. That month, Dante Pereira-Olson joined the cast as a young Bruce Wayne. Whigham said towards the end of October the film was in "the middle" of production, adding that it was an "intense" and "incredible" experience. By mid-November, filming had moved back to New York. Filming wrapped on December 3, 2018, with Phillips posting a picture on his Instagram feed later in the month to commemorate the occasion.


title: Joker (2019 film)

text: In "The Hollywood Reporter" interview, Emma Tillinger Koskoff said that most stressful filming was the "Stair Dance" scene; because there were no laws on paparazzi in New York City, filming was disrupted by them. Initially, Lawrence Sher and Phillips had wanted to film on 65mm film for the 70mm format, but Warner Bros. rejected this due to cost, and the film was subsequently shot in using Arri Alexa 65 digital cameras.


title: Joker (2019 film)

text: Phillips confirmed he was in the process of editing "Joker" in March 2019. At CinemaCon the following month, he stated the film was "still taking shape" and was difficult to discuss, as he hoped to maintain secrecy. Phillips also denied most reports surrounding the film, which he felt was because it is "an origin story about a character that doesn't have a definitive origin." Brian Tyree Henry was also confirmed to have a role in the film. The visual effects were provided by Scanline VFX and Shade VFX and supervised by Matthew Giampa and Bryan Godwin, with Erwin Rivera serving as the overall supervisor. "Joker" used less VFX work than other comics films, except few scenes including that Arthur smeared smile by his blood in crowd.


title: Joker (2019 film)

text: One scene that was cut from the film depicted Sophie watching Arthur's appearance on Franklin's show. The scene was intended to show the audience that she is still alive (as the film otherwise implies that Arthur kills her), but Phillips decided it would disrupt the narrative, which is portrayed from Arthur's point of view. In another deleted scene, Arthur reveals his crimes to a co-worker; the scene was ultimately removed because it provided "too much information" in the form of exposition.


title: Joker (2019 film)

text: The film's final budget was $55–70 million, considered by "The Hollywood Reporter" "a fraction" of the cost of a typical comic book-based film. In comparison, the previous villain-centered DC film, "Suicide Squad" (2016), cost $175 million. $25 million of "Joker" budget was covered by the Toronto-based financing company Creative Wealth Media, while Village Roadshow Pictures and Bron Studios each contributed 25%. "Joker" was also the first live-action theatrical film in the "Batman" film franchise to receive an R rating from the Motion Picture Association of America, due to "strong bloody violence, disturbing behavior, language and brief sexual images." In the United Kingdom, the BBFC gave the film a 15 certificate for "strong bloody violence [and] language".


title: Joker (2019 film)

text: Gotham City in "Joker" was set in 1980s New York City, according to Todd Phillips, "to separate it, quite frankly, from the DC universe". Mark Friedberg, the production designer of this film, said he established the filming location of Gotham Square in Newark as a film set because there was still poverty. He wanted Gotham to look like a gritty city, as described in "Taxi Driver", therefore named all structures and lines in this film and drew a specific map of Gotham city. He displayed 1970s brightly colored muscle cars on the set, "conveying dissonance and being awful and beautiful at the same time". He also tried to describe Gotham as a decaying city through graffiti, garbage on the road and cracked sidewalks. The VFX team added fictional buildings, changing the skyline of the city to give the sense that the city was pressing down on Arthur. Lawrence Sher said sodium-vapor lights were used in this film, representing Arthur's isolation and his more hopeful side.


title: Joker (2019 film)

text: Arkham State Hospital is based on Arkham Asylum. Warner Bros. Korea explained that it is a more realistic name in the real world. The exterior of Arkham State hospital was filmed at Brooklyn Army Terminal, while the interior was pictured in Metropolitan Hospital Center of Harlem. Throughout the film, two walls are shown inside Arkham State Hospital; one is clearly white in the first and last scenes, the other is dirty yellow in the scene in which Arthur runs with a medical report. This difference was intended to make the audience confused and to question the possibility that Arthur had been in hospital the entire time.


title: Joker (2019 film)

text: One of the most important inspiration affected behavior of Arthur is Little Tramp in "Modern Times". Phillips confirmed that his ridiculous movement was referred from Charlie Chaplin, in commentary video of "Vanity Fair". Phoenix revealed that Arthur's dance was inspired by that of Ray Bolger, while the gesture making smile by two fingers was from scarecrow in "The Wizard of Oz". In preparation, Phoenix lost to look “wolf-like and malnourished and hungry.”, and based his laugh on "videos of people suffering from pathological laughter." He also sought to portray a character who audiences could not identify with and did not look to previous Joker actors for inspiration; instead, he read a book about political assassinations so he could understand killers and motivations.


title: Joker (2019 film)

text: In a behind-the-scenes video, Phillips explained that Arthur's normal face is the real mask and the Joker is the true personality. He also said, in "LA Times" interview, that the genuine laugh of Arthur is only in the last scene. Director Todd Phillips said that he intentionally left it ambiguous as to whether Arthur becomes the Joker of traditional Batman stories or inspires a separate character, although Phoenix believes that Arthur is the former.


title: Joker (2019 film)

text: Nicki Ledermann and Kay Georgiou, the makeup designer and hairstylist tried to show Arthur Fleck to "be handmade and realistic". Georgiou designated Arthur as a man with unwashed hair. Arthur's costumes, designed by Mark Bridges, were matched to look "aged, overdyed and distressed" through wearing him with cheap polyester pants and acrylic sweater. His color palette was set in 80s; blue, maroon, brown, mauve and gray. In "Deadline Hollywood" interview, Bridges explained Arthur costume color started to juvenile mode, going darker with the tone of the story. In the first scene, Arthur's "too small" hooded jacket and white socks emphasize the childish concept. It was a reflection of him living with his mother Penny, with her calling him "my little boy", and the influence of Charlie Chaplin. However, he wore a charcoal sweater in the interview with the social worker and finally was in a "scab-colored knit top" in Arkham State Hospital. A line depicting his old suit for many years was interpreted a mustard-toned vest and a patterned bottle-green shirt. Meanwhile, Arthur in doctor costume is the homage of Joker in "The Dark Knight", wearing nurse uniform to meet Harvey Dent in Gotham Hospital.


title: Joker (2019 film)

text: After turning Arthur into Joker, his design was also changed. His hair was dyed "broccoli" green and he wore a suit similar to the one in the original "Batman" series. However, the Joker suit in this film had different colors compared to previous films (purple suit with a green or yellow shirt). Mark Bridges noted that it was result of Phillips' intention to not want to be "connected to anything else". Initially, the color of the suit in the script was set to Terracotta, but Bridges changed this to red to give "more expressive" emotion. Additionally, his suit colors (green, yellow, purple and red) were compared with those of his antagonists, including Thomas Wayne, giving them to gray and blue like Batman. Clown makeup was drawn with a classic, antique feel, with darker colors and tones and menacing eyebrows. Due to copyright laws stating that no two clowns can look alike, Ledermann faced a challenge.


title: Joker (2019 film)

text: In August 2018, Hildur Guðnadóttir was hired to compose the film's score. Hildur began writing music after reading the script and meeting with Phillips, who "had a lot of strong ideas" about how he thought the score should sound. She worked on the "Joker" score alongside the score for the drama miniseries "Chernobyl"; Hildur told "The Hindu"'s Divya-Kala Bhavani switching between the two was challenging because the scores were so different.


title: Joker (2019 film)

text: Additionally, the film features the songs "That's Life", "Send In the Clowns", "White Room" and "Rock and Roll Part 2". The use of "Rock and Roll Part 2" generated controversy when it was reported that its singer, convicted child sex offender Gary Glitter, would receive royalties, but it was later confirmed he would not. The score was released on October 2, 2019, by WaterTower Music. Hildur's music won numerous awards including an Academy Award, a Satellite Award, a Saturn Award, the Hollywood Music in Media Awards (HMMA) and the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score, with the latter making her the first woman to win as a solo composer in that category.


title: Joker (2019 film)

text: Phillips promoted the film by posting on set photos on his Instagram account. On September 21, 2018, he released test footage of Phoenix in-costume as the Joker, with "Laughing" by The Guess Who accompanying the footage. At CinemaCon on April 2, 2019, Phillips unveiled the first trailer for the film, which was released online the following day. The trailer, prominently featuring the song "Smile" performed by Jimmy Durante, generated positive responses, with some commentators comparing it to "Taxi Driver" and "Requiem for a Dream" and praising Phoenix's performance. Writers described the trailer as dark and gritty, with ComicBook.com's Jenna Anderson feeling it appeared more like a psychological thriller than a comic book film. Actor Mark Hamill, who has voiced the Joker since the 1992 cartoon "", expressed enthusiasm on Twitter. Conversely, "io9"s Germain Lussier said the trailer revealed too little and that it was too similar to photos Phillips had posted on Instagram. While he still believed it exhibited potential, Lussier overall thought the trailer was not "a home run." The trailer received over eight million views in the first few hours of release.


title: Joker (2019 film)

text: On August 25, 2019, Phillips released six brief teasers that contained flashes of writing, revealing the second trailer would be released on August 28. Filmmaker Kevin Smith commended the trailer, stating he thought the film "would still work even if [DC Comics] didn't exist" and praising its uniqueness. Overall, "Deadline Hollywood" estimated that Warner Bros. spent $120 million on promotion and advertisements.


title: Joker (2019 film)

text: "Joker" had its world premiere at the 76th Venice International Film Festival on August 31, 2019, where it received an eight-minute standing ovation and won the Golden Lion award. It also screened at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 9, 2019. The film was released theatrically by Warner Bros. Pictures on October 4, 2019, in the United States and a day earlier in Australia and several other international markets. On November 16, 2019, it was screened at the White House for President Donald Trump, who reportedly enjoyed the film. Some theaters released this movie on 70mm film, by original intention of the movie's director. Following its nominations at various awards shows, the film was scheduled to be rereleased in theaters across North America, beginning on January 17, 2020.


title: Joker (2019 film)

text: On September 18, 2019, the United States Army distributed an email warning service members of potential violence at theaters screening the film and noting the Joker character's popularity among the incel community. A separate memo revealed the Army received "credible" information from Texas law enforcement "regarding the targeting of an unknown movie theater during the release." However, according to "Deadline Hollywood", the FBI and the United States Department of Homeland Security found no credible threats surrounding the release of the film.


title: Joker (2019 film)

text: In an interview with "TheWrap", Phillips expressed surprise at criticism of the film's dark tone, stating "it's because outrage is a commodity" and calling critics of the film "far-left". Phoenix walked out of an interview by "The Telegraph" when asked if the film could inspire mass shooters. He later returned to finish the interview, but did not answer the question. Following this, journalists were disinvited from the premiere at TCL Chinese Theatre, with only photographers being allowed to interact with the filmmakers and cast on the carpet. In a statement to "Variety", Warner Bros. said that "A lot has been said about "Joker" and we just feel it's time for people to see the film."


title: Joker (2019 film)

text: The film did not play at the Aurora, Colorado movie theater where the 2012 mass shooting occurred during a screening of "The Dark Knight Rises". Three families of victims, as well as the mother of a witness, signed a letter to Warner Bros. with the request. Additionally, Landmark Theaters prohibited moviegoers from wearing Joker costumes during its run, while the Los Angeles and New York City Police Departments increased police visibility at area theaters, though they did not receive "any specific threat."


title: Joker (2019 film)

text: "Joker" was released on Digital HD on December 17, 2019, and on DVD, Blu-ray and Ultra HD Blu-ray on January 7, 2020. It debuted on HBO on May 16, 2020, and on HBO Max when it launched on May 27, 2020.


title: Joker (2019 film)

text: "Joker" grossed $335.5 million in the United States and Canada and $738.5 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $1.074 billion. It is the sixth-highest-grossing film of 2019 and the highest-grossing R-rated film of all time, as well as the first R-rated film to pass the billion-dollar mark. In terms of budget-to-gross ratio, "Joker" is also the most profitable film based on a comic book, due to its small budget and little decline in week-to-week grosses during its theatrical run, surpassing the record previously held by "Deadpool". "Deadline Hollywood" estimated the film made a net profit of $437 million, when factoring together all expenses and revenues.


title: Joker (2019 film)

text: In August 2019, "BoxOffice" magazine analyst Shawn Robbins wrote that he expected "Joker" to gross $60–90 million during its opening weekend in North America. Following the film's premiere, "BoxOffice" predicted "Joker" could open to $70–95 million domestically. Later updating to $85–105 million, Robbins suggested it could become the first October release to open to over $100 million and surpass the record set by "Venom" in 2018. However, Comscore's senior media analyst Paul Dergarabedian thought the film would open closer to $50 million because it is not a "typical comic-book movie." Three weeks prior to its release, official industry tracking projected the film would debut to $65–80 million, with some estimates going as high as $90 million. The week of its release, Atom Tickets announced pre-sale totals for the film were outpacing those of "Venom" and "It Chapter Two" ($91.1 million debut) and that "Joker" was its second-bestselling R-rated film of 2019 behind "".


title: Joker (2019 film)

text: "Joker" opened in 4,374 theaters in North America and made $39.9 million on its first day, including $13.3 million from Thursday night previews, besting "Venom"s respective October records. The film also had the biggest October opening day of any film, beating out "Halloween".


title: Joker (2019 film)

text: It went on to break "Venom" record for having the biggest October opening weekend, finishing with a domestic total of $96.2 million. The film set career records for Phoenix, Phillips and De Niro and was the fourth-largest debut for an R-rated film of all time. This record would cross over "The Matrix Reloaded", staying behind "Deadpool", "Deadpool 2" and "It". It was also Warner Bros.' biggest domestic opening in two years. In its second weekend the film fell just 41.8% to $55.9 million, remaining in first and marking the best second-weekend October total (besting "Gravity"s $43.1 million in 2013). It made $29.2 million in its third weekend and $19.2 million in its fourth, finishing second behind "" both times. After 155 days, "Joker"s American theatrical run wrapped up on March 5, 2020 with a final gross of $355.5 million, making it the fourth-highest domestic gross for an R-rated film, behind "The Passion of the Christ", "Deadpool" and "American Sniper".


title: Joker (2019 film)

text: Worldwide, the film was projected to debut to around $155 million, including $75 million from 73 overseas territories. It made $5.4 million from four countries on its first day and $18.7 million from 47 in its second, for a two-day total of $24.6 million. It went on to greatly exceed expectations, making $140.5 million from overseas territories and a total $234 million worldwide. Its largest markets were South Korea (a Warner Bros. record $16.3 million), the United Kingdom ($14.8 million), Mexico ($13.1 million) and Japan ($7 million). With this, it became the biggest worldwide opening for an October film. During its second weekend, the film made an additional $125.7 million worldwide, and $77.9 million in its third. By this point, industry analysts expected "Joker" to become the highest-grossing R-rated film of all time, with some suggesting that it could finish its run with over $1 billion. The film became the highest-grossing R-rated film in its fourth weekend, during which it grossed $47.8 million internationally, and passed the billion-dollar mark about a month into its theatrical release.


title: Joker (2019 film)

text: On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, "Joker" holds an approval rating of based on reviews, with an average rating of . The site's critical consensus reads, ""Joker" gives its infamous central character a chillingly plausible origin story that serves as a brilliant showcase for its star – and a dark evolution for comics-inspired cinema." Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 59 out of 100 based on 60 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale, while those at PostTrak gave it an overall positive score of 84% (with an average 4 out of 5 stars) and a 60% "definite recommend".


title: Joker (2019 film)

text: Mark Kermode of "The Observer" rated the film 4 out of 5 stars, stating ""Joker" has an ace card in the form of Joaquin Phoenix's mesmerisingly physical portrayal of a man who would be king." Writing for IGN, Jim Vejvoda gave "Joker" a perfect score, saying that the film "would work just as well as an engrossing character study without any of its DC Comics trappings; that it just so happens to be a brilliant "Batman"-universe movie is icing on the Batfan cake." He found it a powerful and unsettling allegory of contemporary neglect and violence and described Phoenix's performance as the Joker as engrossing and "Oscar-worthy". Similarly, Xan Brooks of "The Observer"—who also gave the film a perfect score—called it "gloriously daring and explosive" and appreciated how Phillips used elements from Scorsese films to create an original story. "Variety"s Owen Gleiberman wrote, "Phoenix is astonishing as a mentally ill geek who becomes the killer-clown Joker in Todd Phillips' neo-"Taxi Driver" knockout: the rare comic-book movie that expresses what's happening in the real world."


title: Joker (2019 film)

text: "ComicBook.com"s Brandon Davis acclaimed "Joker" as a groundbreaking comic book adaptation that he found scarier than most 2019 horror films. Davis compared it favorably to the 2008 "Batman" film "The Dark Knight", praised the cinematography and performances and called it a film that needed to be seen to be believed. "Deadline Hollywood"s Pete Hammond believes the film redefines the Joker and is "impossible to shake off". Hammond also praised the story and performances and summarized the film as "a bravura piece of filmmaking that speaks to the world we are actually living in today in ways that few movies do." Peter Travers of "Rolling Stone" said he was lost for words in describing Phoenix's performance, calling the film "gut-wrenching" and "simply stupendous".


title: Joker (2019 film)

text: David Ehrlich of "IndieWire" was more mixed and gave the film a "C+". He felt that while ""Joker" is the boldest and most exciting superhero movie since "The Dark Knight"", it was "also incendiary, confused and potentially toxic". Ehrlich thought that the film would make DC fans happy and praised Phoenix's performance, but criticized Phillips' direction and the lack of originality. A critical review came from Glenn Kenny of RogerEbert.com, who gave the film two stars out of four. Though he praised the performances and thought the story worked, Kenny criticized the social commentary and Phillips' direction, finding the film too derivative and believing its focus was "less in entertainment than in generating self-importance". In an analysis of the character Joker, Onmanorama's Sajesh Mohan wrote that the movie was cliché-ridden, the only original part being Joaquin Phoenix's acting. "The movie, with great pain and in detail, explains how Arthur Fleck turns into Joker dejected by the way the world treats him. Thanks to Phillips and Silver, Phoenix was able to bring out the king among the Jokers," the analysis read.


title: Joker (2019 film)

text: Stephanie Zacharek of "Time" magazine, in a negative review, labeled Phoenix's performance over-the-top and felt that while Phillips tried to "[give] us a movie all about the emptiness of our culture... he's just offering a prime example of it." She argued the plot was nonexistent, "dark only in a stupidly adolescent way" and "stuffed with phony philosophy". Meanwhile, NPR's Glen Weldon thought the film lacked innovation and said its sympathetic take on the Joker was "wildly unconvincing and mundanely uninteresting". Weldon also described "Joker" as trying too hard to deviate from the comics and, as a result, coming off as an imitation of films like "Taxi Driver". Peter Bradshaw of "The Guardian" called it "the most disappointing film of the year". While praising Phoenix's performance and the first act, he criticized the film's political plot developments and overall found it too derivative of various Scorsese films.


title: Joker (2019 film)

text: "Joker" generated positive responses from industry figures. DC Comics chief creative officer Jim Lee praised it as "intense, raw and soulful" and stated that it had remained true to the character despite deviating from the source material. Actor Mark Hamill, who has voiced the Joker in animation and video games since "", thought the film had "brilliantly" reinvented the character and gave it "[two] thumbs up". "Superman" (1978) director Richard Donner called the film "brilliant", "fascinating", "really well-written" and stated that Phoenix's performance was "genius". Documentary filmmaker Michael Moore called "Joker" a "cinematic masterpiece" and stated it was a "danger to society" if people did not see it. Actor Josh Brolin found the film powerful: "To appreciate "Joker" I believe you have to have either gone through something traumatic in your lifetime (and I believe most of us have) or understand somewhere in your psyche what true compassion is". Actor Vincent D'Onofrio vocally commended Phoenix's performance in the film on Twitter, stating that he "deserve[d] recognition for this performance", while actress Jessica Chastain agreed, replying: "It's one of the greatest pieces of acting I've ever seen". Actress and screenwriter Phoebe Waller-Bridge also praised the film, stating: "I think the reason people got so uncomfortable [with the film] is because it feels too true, too raw. I was watching it and thinking to myself, God, if this came out a year into Obama's time in office, I don't think we'd be feeling as worried about it". Filmmaker David Fincher said of the film's unexpected success, "Nobody would have thought they had a shot at a giant hit with "Joker" had "The Dark Knight" not been as massive as it was. I don't think anyone would have looked at that material and thought, 'Yeah, let's take ["Taxi Driver"s] Travis Bickle and ["The King of Comedy"s] Rupert Pupkin and conflate them, then trap him in a betrayal of the mentally ill and trot it out for a billion dollars'". Actor Brendan Gleeson felt that Phoenix's performance as the Joker was absolutely "indelible" and one of the most magnificent achievements in cinema he has ever seen, incidentally being that the reason he opted to join the film's sequel "" (2024).


title: Joker (2019 film)

text: Joaquin Phoenix's performance in the film won him multiple awards, including an Academy Award for Best Actor, a BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role, a Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Actor, a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama and a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role.


title: Joker (2019 film)

text: "Joker" won the Best Actor (Phoenix) and Best Original Score awards at the 92nd Academy Awards. It received overall eleven nominations (including Best Picture) from the ceremony, breaking the record of eight held by "The Dark Knight" for the most nominations received by a film based on a comic book, comic strip or graphic novel. Hildur Guðnadóttir also became the first woman to win an original score Oscar since "The Full Monty" in 1998. At the 73rd British Academy Film Awards, the film won Best Actor in a Leading Role (Phoenix), Best Casting and Best Original Music out of a leading eleven nominations including Best Film. The film was nominated for four Golden Globe Awards for the 77th ceremony, winning the awards for Best Original Score and Best Actor (Phoenix). The film was nominated for seven awards at the 25th Critics' Choice Awards, winning Best Actor (Phoenix) and Best Score and was included in the American Film Institute and Cahiers du Cinéma's top 10 films of 2019.


title: Joker (2019 film)

text: Having won an award at the 26th Screen Actors Guild Awards for Phoenix's performance, "Joker" also received nominations from other guilds including the Writers Guild of America Awards and the Producers Guild of America. It won a Best Period and/or Character Make-Up in a Feature-Length Motion Picture award from the Make-Up Artists and Hair Stylists Guild. An American production, the film won the Golden Lion at the 76th Venice International Film Festival.