Who directed the 2019 joker movie and what inspired its story?

Todd Phillips directed the 2019 film Joker, marking his return to comic-book adaptations after The Hangover series. The movie stars Joaquin Phoenix as Arthur Fleck, a failed comedian who descends into madness and becomes the Joker. The story was inspired by the DC Comics character but specifically drew narrative elements from Murray Trumpman's 1988 graphic novel Joker's Five Point Explosion, which provided a foundation for exploring the character's origin. Phillips co-wrote the screenplay with Scott Silver, creating a character study that diverges significantly from traditional superhero films. The film's tone and themes were influenced by Martin Scorsese's 1975 film Taxi Driver, with Phillips acknowledging this inspiration in interviews. The production focused heavily on Phoenix's performance and Gotham City's gritty atmosphere to create an intimate psychological thriller rather than a typical comic-book action film.