Todd Phillips, writer-director of the new DC Comics film Joker, sat down to talk with HFPA journalist Gabriel Lerman about sneaking an old-school 70s-style character piece through the studio system, convincing Joaquin Phoenix to tackle the titular role, and how their partnership informed and evolved the character over the course of the production. They also talk about the state of comedy today, Phillips's fascination with mayhem, his early documentary work, and the year he spent talking to John Wayne Gacy.