Behind the Scenes Buzz

JOAQUIN PHOENIX’S JOKER LOOK UNVEILED: It is no laughing matter. Without the green hair, purple suit and white makeup, what does the Joker look like? Ordinary-and scary-as hell. Todd Phillips, director of uthe pcoming Joker origin film starring Joaquin Phoenix, has shared the first image. The film is being pitched as an “exploration of a man disregarded by society that is not only a gritty character study, but also a broader cautionary tale.”

ALEC BALDWIN HEADED BACK TO SNL: Alec Baldwin will be returning to Saturday Night Live as President Donald Trump, he announced on the Origins with James Andrew Miller podcast. “I have fun doing it, there’s no doubt about that,” Baldwin said of his role on SNL. “They are all old and dear friends of mine, and I love going there. When the show is good, there is nothing like it. But for me, I think I’m going to do some of it, but not a whole lot,” he said, referring to skits with Trump. “Because I also think, and this is critical, there is a lot of fatigue here.”

ROBERT REDFORD BACKTRACKING ON RETIREMENT? The 82-year-old Robert Redford told fans last month that he was hanging up his hat, but it seems he may be reconsidering. “I think it was a mistake to say that this was my last film because I think I just could’ve quietly slipped out of acting and into a new category,” Redford said. He underlined that sentiment during a Q&A Thursday night promoting Old Man & The Gun. “This is not about my retirement,” he told the audience. “That got too much attention. It’s not about that. Because if I’m going to retire, I’m going to go quietly into a new direction and not talk about it. So I was concerned that was getting too much attention and taking away from what the real value of the story was.”

SNL BEEFS UP CAST FOR SEASON 4: Saturday Night Live has recruited Ego Nwodim to the cast and has added four new writers: Alan Linic, Alison Gates, Eli Mandel and Bowen Yang. SNL returns for its 44th season on September 29 with Adam Driver as host and Kanye West as musical guest.

MARVEL STUDIOS’ THE ETERNALS LANDS DIRECTOR: Chloe Zhao has signed on to direct Marvel‘s The Eternals, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The superhero team adventure was penned by Matthew and Ryan Firpo. The film follows the tale of near-immortal beings dubbed The Eternals versus the Deviants, a naughty offshoot of the race created by Celestials.

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