Ever since Joker proved to be a barnstorming hit, which managed to appeal to superhero fans and “serious” filmgoers, it was hoped that the DC villain origins story would score big at the next awards season. We’ve yet to find out how it’ll be served at the Oscars, but we now know that Joker will make a big impression at the Golden Globes, as the Joaquin Phoenix-starring movie has earned itself an impressive four nominations in major categories.
The full line-up of nominations was revealed this morning, with Joker represented in several of the most hotly contested categories of the lot. Todd Phillips’ film is to be nominated for Best Motion Picture – Drama, Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama, Best Director and Best Original Score.
None of these are an easy win for Joker, but it’s still a big deal that it’s managed to nab all four of these nods. For Best Motion Picture, its top rivals are probably Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman and Noah Baumbauch’s Marriage Story. For Best Actor, meanwhile, Phoenix’s fellow nominees include Antonio Banderas (Pain and Glory), Jonathan Pryce (The Two Popes) and, funnily enough, former Batman Christian Bale (Ford vs. Ferrari).
For Best Director, Phillips is up against some stiff competition in the form of Scorsese, Quentin Tarantino (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood), Sam Mendes (1917) and Bong Joon-Ho (Parasite). And the Best Score category sees composer Hildur Guðnadóttir joined by Alexandre Desplat (Little Women), Randy Newman (Marriage Story) and Thomas Newman (1917).
This news follows on from Joker sweeping the Critics’ Choice Awards with seven nominations. Typically, the Golden Globes and the Critics’ Choice are seen as a good indicator of what will do well at the Oscars and so, the odds are looking good for the Clown Prince of Crime to get some Academy Awards love next year, too. Fingers crossed.