The director and team behind the new Joker movie are trying to combat the leaks and paparazzi.

Due to the numerous leaks of Joaquin Phoenix on set of the movie, which is filming through New York City, a teaser of Phoenix as The Joker was released late last week, and over the weekend, director Todd Phillips released a first look image of Beetz in the movie.

In response to fans saying Phillips has been releasing too many looks for the film already, he said, “Here’s the issue. We have paparazzi all over our set, at every turn. And it bums me out that they constantly put out their bad shots. So I figure, may as well put out some good ones.”

We first told you a few weeks ago that Phoenix is portraying the DC Comics villain “in a movie that is more moderately budgeted and darker than the studio’s other DC-based movies, known as the DC Cinematic Universe. The movie is also described as more a dark character study than a crime thriller, with Taxi Driver and The King of Comedy as the tonal watchwords. While details of the Phillips and Scott Silver-penned script are being kept under wraps, if a deal makes, Beetz would play a single mother who catches the interest of the man who will become the Clown Prince of Crime.”

Check out the image of Beetz below:


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So excited to be working with @zaziebeetz. Joker. ????@nikotavernise

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Cover photo: SAN DIEGO, CA – JULY 21: Zazie Beetz speaks onstage at the ‘Deadpool 2’ panel during Comic-Con International 2018 at San Diego Convention Center on July 21, 2018 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Albert L. Ortega/Getty Images)