“The People’s Joker,” a queer comic book parody that garnered headlines after getting axed from the Toronto Film Festival lineup, is heading to the big screen.
Los Angeles-based distributor Altered Innocence acquired the film, which will open in theaters on April 5.
Vera Drew directed “The People’s Joker,” which was slated to play in 2022 at TIFF. However, the filmmaker canceled the planned screenings after its Midnight Madness premiere, citing copyright issues with the material. Warner Bros. Discovery owns DC Comics and holds the rights to the Batman universe but has never commented publicly on “The People’s Joker.” A title card before the movie states, “This film is a parody and is at present time completely unauthorized by DC Comics, Warner Brothers or anyone claiming ownership of the trademarks therein (eg. ‘Joker,’ ‘Batman, etc.).”
Described as an “absurdist semi-autobiographical dark comedy,” “The People’s Joker” stars Drew as a painfully unfunny aspiring clown called Joker the Harlequin. Her character grapples with her gender identity while unsuccessfully attempting to join the ranks of Gotham City’s sole comedy program in a world where comedy has been outlawed. Uniting with a ragtag team of rejects and misfits, Joker the Harlequin forms an illegal anti-comedy troupe that puts her on a collision course with the devious caped crusader controlling the city.
The movie, which was partly financed by crowdfunding and shot entirely on a greenscreen, features cameos from Tim Heidecker, Bob Odenkirk,Maria Bamford(Netflix’s“Big Mouth”) andScott Aukerman(“Between Two Ferns” with Zach Galifianakis).
“Vera Drew has taken her own life experiences and traumas to craft an entirely new genre of cinema that blurs the lines between documentary, coming-of-age film, and parody,” said Altered Innocence founderFrank Jaffe. “We couldn’t be more thrilled to champion this bold, intelligent and hilarious piece of queer cinema that audiences around the globe have fallen in love with.”
Drew, an editor on “Who Is America?” and Netflix’s“I Think You Should Leave With Tim Robinson,” also co-wrote “The People’s Joker.” She said she’s “thrilled and humbled” that Altered Innocence picked up her film.
“This movie started as a D.I.Y. community project for queer artists, and I made it with my friends to process what it was like coming out as a trans woman working in the film and TV industry,” Drew said in a statement. “It has been a long road freeing‘The People’s Joker’and finding a release plan that rings true to the queer, anarchist spirit we had while making it. What better home than among Altered Innocence’s catalog of gorgeously gay and deliciously edgy films.”
The deal was negotiated by Billy Offer from UTA and Lindsay Cohen of Rise Management on behalf of the filmmaker and Frank Jaffe for Altered Innocence. Vera Drew is repped by Lindsay Cohen of Rise Management.
