Todd Phillip’s Joker was shot in various locations throughout New York and New Jersey under the working title Romeo. That lead to plenty of leaks and even caused director Todd Phillips to just release some footage officially.
However, that process also gave us some insight into the actual real-life locations. Here are some of the locations found in the Joker teaser.
The Step Street – Anderson Ave & W 167th St, The Bronx
The Bronx is home to the largest amount of step streets in all of New York City. Those were build on areas that were too steep for roads and are exactly what they sound like: a street made of steps.
They’re public streets, so if you ever feel like pretending to be a working-class Gothamite and/or a dancing clown you are free to do so.
Twin Donut Plus, Jerome Ave & E 208th St, The Bronx
We don’t know all too much about the relationship between Arthur Fleck and Sophie Dumond from the teaser, but we do know that they sit together inside a donut shop smiling at each other. That donut shop is a former Twin Donut Plus in The Bronx, which is a restaurant chain located in Westchester County.
The store shut down a few months before shooting began (for unrelated reasons) and is now vacant. It’s expected to be sold and perhaps be transformed into a totally different business. Arthur and Sophie might have been the last people to ever eat donuts in that building.
“Everything Must Go” – The Paramount Theater in Newark, NJ, 195 Market St
Believe it or not, the “Everything Must Go!!” sign at the store Arthur holds his sign at wasn’t put there for the movie. The store is currently an empty retail space which used to sell furniture. According to Google Street View, the store had the “Everything Must Go!!” sale back in October 2017, with that exact same sign on its window. It was still there back in August 2018, two months before the Joker crew started shooting. Talk about a great location scout.
It’s difficult not to feel sympathy for a friendly neighborhood clown waiving a sale sign after he’s attacked by a few violent kids for no good reason. The place where Joaquin Phoenix was able to give that emotional performance was the site of the former Paramount theater in Newark, New Jersey which was opened back in 1886.
From the cars to the storefronts to the news- and phone booths, the crew of Joker did some impressive work in making the location look like the 1980s.
The Bedford Park Boulevard Subway Station, The Bronx
Yes, this scene was shot in the actual Bedford Park Blvd B/D train station in The Bronx. It made some riders wonder and of course led to leaks mere hours after the actual shoot.
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Nah it’s the joker bro. Fuck the MTA know? They don’t even know what time the train will arrive.
— WallyA. (@WallyAlejandr0) September 23, 2018
The train Arthur rides on is the 0 Express to Old Gotham.
My mom sent me these today; she was on her way to see Residente in concert and saw the tricked-out trains! pic.twitter.com/09tFn67N8v
— Zak Wojnar (@ZakWojnar) September 22, 2018
Wayne Manor – William J Brennan Courthouse in Jersey City, NJ
This over a century old courthouse in New Jersey has been used in a number of shows and movies, such as in Law and Order. For Joker, it has been picked as the site of Thomas Wayne’s manor. Seems like Wayne Sr. had good taste in architecture (and lots of money) when he chose his estate. Originally the courthouse was built for over $3 million back in 1906, which would be over $75 million in today’s money.
The Archway – Under the Manhattan Bridge in Dumbo, Brooklyn
Dumbo is the title of a flying Disney elephant but also the name of a North Brooklyn neighborhood. It’s right below the Manhattan bridge, which is where the crew shot some scenes of Arthur running with a bag. The actual archway under the bridge is a tourist attraction. On a side note: another crew that often shoots in Dumbo is that of Fox’s Gotham.
The Chase Below The Subway Line – Jerome Av and E 170th St, The Bronx
In the teaser, Arthur seemingly runs away from someone and gets hit by a yellow cab. That chase occurred below an above-ground subway line in The Bronx. The spot at which Arthur gets hit is less than a block away from the entrance to the 170 Street 4-train station.
Although some of the storefronts appear to have been replaced for the film, the CTown signage wasn’t. That’s because that particular CTown location opened in 1973 and Joker is set in the 80s.
Were you able to catch some other locations? Please let us know in the comments below.
Joker opens in theaters and IMAX this October.
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Images: Google Street View / Warner Bros. / IMAX
Sources: Norwood News / NJ.com / DarkForge14
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