Entertainment: Starting as a Succubus, Taking Hollywood by Storm

The film neared its climax, the narrative surging toward its final peak. Arthur's defiant words on The Murray Franklin Show, coupled with his killing of Murray, dominated news broadcasts, igniting Gotham's "Jokers." A frenzy erupted. The film's colors grew even more vivid.

The camera soared above Gotham, revealing a deceptively idyllic city—towering skyscrapers, gleaming glass facades, lush parks. But as it descended, the truth emerged: streets teemed with clown-masked rioters looting and burning. The lens cut to Arthur inside a police car, head against the window, smiling at the chaos outside—a stark contrast to the earlier, bleak bus ride home. One scene was cold and sorrowful; this one, vibrant and gleeful.

Crowds waved at him, hailing their rebellious "hero." His laughter grew sharper. A cop snapped, "This isn't funny." Arthur countered, "Isn't it beautiful?"

Suddenly, an ambulance rammed the police car. Bang! It stopped, and clown-masked figures pulled an unconscious Arthur out, laying him on the hood, hoping he'd wake. The scene shifted to a theater playing The Pink Zorro, where Thomas Wayne, his wife, and young Bruce exited into an alley.

DC fans recognized it—the alley from The Dark Knight Trilogy where Bruce's parents were killed. Martin's deliberate nod thrilled them. A masked man followed, gun in hand, sneering at Thomas Wayne: "You brought this on yourself!" He shot Thomas and Martha, ripping her pearl necklace. Bruce stood frozen as pearls bounced across the blood-soaked ground, marking the trauma that would shape Batman.

Back to Arthur: surrounded by "Jokers," he rose, bloodied but alive. Their cheers filled his once-rejected soul—he was now their revered leader. Isn't this what I've always chased? He was happy, and so were they. Perfect.

Amid roaring crowds, Arthur climbed onto the car, dipping his fingers in his blood to paint a wide, iconic Joker smile. He danced wildly, the crowd exalting him. He hadn't sought to start a movement, yet he'd become its symbol. Now, he reveled in it, forcing his mouth into a grotesque grin with his fingers.

The camera froze on Arthur, arms outstretched atop the car, surrounded by adoring followers—a villain born. Arthur Fleck was gone. The Joker had arrived.

He wasn't a dragon-slaying hero turned monster. The Joker simply sought joy in chaos—retribution against the rich, the elite, not for any cause but his own whims. Like a child, he destroyed what didn't please him. Batman fought crime without building a better system, despite his wealth. The Joker, too, had no grand order, only chaos.

Both were lonely—Joker shunned by the world, Batman shunning it. Their meeting at Wayne Manor's gate, where Arthur shaped young Bruce's smile, sealed their fate: The Joker is Batman; Batman is the Joker.

The scene flashed to Arkham Asylum. A doctor faced a cackling Arthur, asking, "What's so funny?" Smirking, Arthur replied, "Just a joke you wouldn't get," humming That's Life. The camera pulled back, revealing bloody footprints trailing down the asylum's hall as he danced toward a sunlit window. The sunlight was blinding, yet he resisted its pull, dancing as a shadow refusing to be consumed.

A sharp shatter of glass rang out. Arthur vanished from the window. Gotham's legend was unleashed.

The screen faded to black, credits rolling as theater lights flickered on. Across 3,000 North American theaters, a collective hush fell, followed by a unified rise to their feet. Then, thunderous applause erupted—fervent, wild, unstoppable. Emotions poured out like a tidal wave.

Brad Pitt clapped reluctantly, not wanting to stand out like Arthur. Glumly, he asked Quentin Tarantino, "Can we still push Inglourious Basterds' release?" Tarantino, face grim, clapped too, muttering, "That's not funny. I just want to hit the editing room and add some killer shots."

At the Grand Theatre, Steven Spielberg told James Cameron, "I never believed a perfect film was possible, but The Joker… it's infinitely close to perfection."

Cameron nodded. "That kid stunned me."